


Torn Between Duty And Emotion

by RaeCarastase



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Egypt, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ancient Egypt, F/M, Love, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, Multi, POV Second Person, Romance, Time Loop, Time Travel, ancient, ygo, yugioh - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-06 20:12:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/739652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeCarastase/pseuds/RaeCarastase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was destiny that was leading you to be the subject of everyone’s confusion. Did you fall because you were a foolish girl, trying to be a hero? Or did you fall because you strayed from your supposed path?</p><p> </p><p>(Reader x Undecided)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Destiny Has Chosen A Pawn

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH. 
> 
> Feedback will be appreciated, thanks :)

Flashes of blue and black illuminated the palace hall as a villainous chuckle resonated the vast spacious area. The shockwave radiated in within the palace walls as the Shadow Duel commenced. The attacks that both opponents threw at each other were somewhat equal, further rendering the duel in an unmoving deadlock. However, the cocky grin that a certain thief held remained on his lips as the current ruler of Egypt stared him down. 

 

“Stop this madness now, Bakura! The evil in you will eventually be vanquished and I shall prevail!” the Nameless Pharaoh yelled, only to be replied with dark laughter from his opponent. 

 

“I see you are as oblivious as ever, Pharaoh. There is no evil or darkness in me as I AM THE DARKNESS ITSELF. You shall pay dearly for all your crimes towards the people of Kul Elna, and I’ll start by ridding you of the people you hold dear!” Bakura gnarled with maniacal amusement present on his face.

 

Blinded by all the light that shone once more, the Pharaoh prepared to counter Bakura’s attack. Unbeknownst to the Pharaoh, Bakura was not intending to attack Obelisk as he knew that doing that would only wear both of them out, as their powers were equal. No, what he had in mind was far more sinister and ingenious as it could be the only opportunity he might gain an upper hand at winning this duel. This caused Bakura’s smirk to grow wider. As if Bakura’s smirk gave him a clue on his actual intentions, his eyes widened only to be struck with pure fear and confusion when he realized what the thief was actually going to do. Bakura’s Diabound blasted its ‘Helical Shockwave’ towards the Sacred Guardians who were unprepared for the attack as they were struck with the same shock the Pharaoh had. The devastation the Egyptian King felt, struck deep into his heart as he watched his loyal servants blasted right in front of his eyes. His reddish violet orbs were wide with dread as he scanned the area, hoping to see that they were able to counter the attack some how.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Moments passed by and still the dust from the assault had yet to clear. The Pharaoh tightened his fists as he felt rage coursing through his entire being. 

 

“Yes, Pharaoh. How does it feel to have everyone you know taken away from you right before your eyes? Anger? Rage? The need for revenge?” Bakura questioned, mockingly.

 

“BAKURA! YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR! Our battle is between you and me!” the enraged Pharaoh bellowed as new negative emotions ran wild within the young king’s mind.

 

“That’s where you are wrong again. I had a score to settle with not only you, but with your royal court and this entire blasted Kingdom.”

 

“JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED FOR THE KINGDOM OF EGYPT. AS MUCH AS YOUR VILLAGE WAS UNDESERVINGLY DESTROYED, THIS DOESN’T PARDON YOUR CRIMES!”

 

“JUSTICE?! HAH! Of course, in your eyes, it was justified for your father to destroy my village because it used to exist OUTSIDE of your little kingdom. To Aknumkanon and the royal court, Kul Elna was of no importance; therefore, it shouldn’t matter that the people of said village could be used as a sacrifice! JUSTICE WILL BE ONE OF MY ACHEIVEMENTS WHEN I DO AWAY WITH YOU! So, now Pharaoh let’s enjoy the sight of your fallen loved ones, shall we?” 

 

The dust from the assault began to fade away. The sight that the Pharaoh and the Thief King was exposed to surprised them both as the aftermath of Diabound’s attack had a different outcome from what was expected or should have happened.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Sacred Guardians were unharmed, their expressions similar to that of Atem and Bakura. Everyone stared at the space that was unveiled with widened eyes, as there knelt a girl who held her hands above her head. The shadow from her bangs covered her face from their sight, but when she finally looked up at everyone, gasps were heard as everyone in the hall recognized her. Her body was covered with a red aura that surrounded said girl as if her body was bleeding all over. Soon, within a few moments, the crimson glow dissipated as she weakly fell onto the floor, her knees failing her. Said girl was, in fact, bleeding all over as she took the hit that was directed towards the Pharaoh’s guardians. 

 

“(Your Name)!!!!!!!!!!!” the female Sacred Guardian cried out as she ran towards the severely injured girl. The rest of the guardians followed suit, trying their best to help the fallen young lady. 

 

Although the Pharaoh was relieved that his guardians were safe, his shock still remained when he saw a familiar girl ungracefully sprawled on the floor. Breaking out of his stupor, the Pharaoh sloppily jumped out of his throne and ran to the girl with all his might, hoping he would be able to save her. Bakura on the other hand stared wide-eyed at the face of his bloodied victim.

 

“(Your Name). It can’t be…” Bakura whispered, still in the alarmed state he was put in, unable to sink in the reality of the situation. Betrayal. Out of all the emotions he held, betrayal was what hit him hard as he felt his cold heart shatter.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“(Your name)! Speak to me!” a certain blue-eyed priest yelled as he nudged your shoulders.

 

You slowly opened your eyes, seeing all of the people you knew there. The Pharaoh and guardians surrounded you as you attempted to speak. You felt weak in your throat as you coughed.

 

“What did you do, (Your Name)???” Mahad questioned as he recognized that some form of magic was put to use when you took the attack from Diabound.

 

“I… I-I… I did what--- fate d-destined m-m-me to do,” you smiled weakly at Mahad and the rest of the Sacred Court. 

 

“What do you mean, (Your Name)?! You’re insane for what you did! You deserve what you are put into now, ---!” Priest Seto yelled, surprising everyone as his he face no longer held the cool composure he usually held.

 

“Stop it, Seto! How could you say that?! RA, DAMN IT! She saved us! She risked her life!” Isis yelled back, again surprising everyone, but she was too saddened to care.

 

“Seto, (Your Name) faced danger to save your life. The least we can let her do is to hear what she has to say,” the Pharaoh stated sternly, also upset with Seto’s behavior.

 

You put up your hand, signaling them to stop arguing amongst themselves, as you needed to explain to them before time ran out. Isis looked at you with a sympathetic look in her face and seemed to know what you were about to say. Seto looked deep into your eyes before staring back at Isis, seeing the knowing look in her face. He growled and was about to speak before Shada stopped him. 

 

“Seto, we need to allow (Your Name) to speak,” he told his comrade, putting his hand on Seto’s shoulder.

 

You gratefully glanced towards Shada before taking this opportunity to talk. Taking a deep breath, your voice faltered slightly as you announced what you had to.

 

“I-I… I did what I was told by the deities of Egypt. My duty is still incomplete, for I shall be back as soon as I’m needed. Right now, destiny will separate us as my path continues elsewhere that will enable the Pharaoh victory to save mankind,” you blurted out vaguely as everyone except Isis looked at you in confusion.

 

“It was Ra who saved you. I needed to be sacrificed as I casted a spell with the help of Ra. I’m too weak to save you on my own. This needed to happen and although it’s undesirable, I needed to fulfill my destiny. I can’t offer the Pharaoh much help here. But I know my journey will continue. My friends, Ra is with me. And I shall return for the Pharaoh’s fight to save mankind,” you said before putting a hand on your heart, gesturing that this was a vow that you would keep.

 

“Mahad, save her! DO SOMETHING! We can’t allow her to bleed to death!” Seto looked at the head magician.

 

“No. We can’t interfere with (Your Name)’s decision and fate,” Isis said, unbelieving of her own words. As much as she wanted to save her fallen comrade, she knew what was needed to be done as was revealed by her Millennium Necklace.

 

Everyone looked at Isis like she had lost her mind as she stopped Mahad from treating your injuries. All of the sudden, a shine illuminated from the blood-stained silver bangle that was on your arm. Dizziness fell upon your eyes as you bid farewell with a small smile.

 

“Farewell….” you said before darkness completely took over your vision. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seto smashed his fists against the floor in anger as soon as you drew your last breath. He pulled your body on to his lap, as he looked straight at your face.

 

“You are here to serve the Pharaoh! Wake up! You foolish girl---! You were supposed to stay put in your room when Bakura came!” he growled, unable to face the fact that you were dead.

 

“You’re a weakling, dying like that, “ he spoke again to your lifeless body,

 

“She’s not dead,” Isis said before she pulled you away from Seto. Isis understood that even if Seto denied it, he was devastated. 

 

“Isis, you knew that this was going to happen! YOUR necklace should have been able to foresee this!”

 

“And foresee, I did,” she replied simply.

 

“So, you allowed her to die?!” 

 

“Enough, Seto! It is already hard enough that Isis had to carry out what she was ordered to do by Ra. Bakura will pay for his crimes,” Atem tried reasoning with Seto, only to be interrupted.

 

“SIR, Bakura has escaped the palace grounds! “ a guard yelled, alarming the whole group.

 

The group looked towards where Bakura once stood but saw that the thief was indeed gone, once again stealing something precious from this royal court.

 

_Your life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was Chapter 1, folks! Chapter out wold be out soon! Feedback is appreciated :)


	2. One Soul, Split In Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is where the story might get a little confusing. I am going to switch to 3rd person point-of-view and 2nd person point-of-view in this chapter, for a definite reason. I’m pretty sure it will all make sense later. Look for the next note right at the bottom after reading, so that I can clarify any confusion.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH.

“MEN! Stand your ground! Don’t let him get away!” a guard yelled as his fellow comrades braced themselves, ready to strike at the escaping intruder.

 

A brown horse galloped through the city as its rider furiously whipped its reins. The thief who was riding the horse was very much displeased with the current situation but thanks to Diabound, Diabound zapped its ‘Helical Shockwave’ at the guards, buying him some time to escape. Bakura managed to escape into the darkness as he continued on riding, going further into the desert with only one thing on his mind. The girl that he just killed. Emotions ran through his mind beyond the capacity he usually had to handle, and at that he felt his defensive heart weakening by the emotions that caused his rage to grow. He growled as he hit the horse, causing the horse to gallop faster into the night, disappearing from sight.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The heat from the desert was visible as hot air rose from the scorching sand. Sweat began to fall down a certain person’s face, awakening the unconscious girl from her uncomfortable slumber. The girl opened her eyes slowly as her head pounded painfully. She looked around confused of her surroundings before visions flashed through her eyes. Grabbing her head, she yelled as a bright light blinded her.

 

“(Your Name)…… (Your Name)….” a voice echoed in her mind.

 

“Who is there?!” the girl cried out, scared and fearful of the voice that called out her name.

 

Right before her, the voice began to speak again as the glowing light dissipated slightly, but not enough to reveal the figure that was talking to her. The light started to move further and further away from her as if it was expecting her to follow it. (Your Name) trailed after the light like a moth attracted to flame, but it seemed that she couldn’t catch up with the speed that the light was travelling at. However, she did not give up; her body moved as if it was in a trance and the trance she was in was way too strong to let her weak knees fail her now. All of the sudden, the light vanished, stopping the young lady dead in her tracks. She panted hard and painfully as her dehydrated throat didn’t help but add to the weakness she felt.

 

Looking around, she was confused as to where she was, her eyes weakly scanning the area. The harsh conditions of the desert added to her tiredness. Unable to hold herself up any longer, she fell to the ground unconscious, the last thing she was able to see was a door on the ground, opening.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The older Ishtar had felt a strong presence approaching. The thing that deeply concerned her was that she could not sense whether it was a good or evil presence. With her younger brother Marik, slowly turning to the dark side, she could not risk there being more evil that might influence him any further. Opening the door, her shocked blue eyes stared at the girl who was right in front of the Ishtar’s hideout. She approached the unconscious girl before, taking a good look at her face. The blue-eyed female, known as Ishizu, then felt her Millennium Necklace flash as it showed her certain revelations of the future and past. Her eyes widened noticeably before staring back at the unknown girl. Catching the silver glint that was clad around he girl’s arm, Ishizu’s eyes narrowed considerably before she went to get help.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Warmth surrounded the unconscious girl, and after what seemed like eternity, her eyes opened slowly as her pupils tried adjusting to the light. She was in a dark room with a few brightly lit candles. Sitting up on the bed, she took in the atmosphere, her eyes scanning the room until she found another young lady staring at her. Her eyes widened at the lady as recognition flashed through her dark orbs.

 

“I-I-Isis?” she called out with a raspy voice as her throat felt like it was on fire.

 

That lady looked a lot like the female Sacred Guardian she used to know, but at the same time there was something different about her. By the expression she gave her, (your name) knew she was not Isis.

 

“Isis?” the lady asked, slightly confused before sighing, knowing that you were probably confused.

 

“There’s no need to be frightened. It has been revealed to me that you are (Your Name), am I right?” she asked in a comforting manner.

 

(Your name) nodded her head meekly, looking at the lady questioningly.

 

“I am Ishizu. And it seems that destiny has brought you here, away from the ancient past and into the present where you’ll fulfill your destiny,” she said before a bright light appeared in front of her, blocking her away from sight.

 

(Your Name) recognized the light that shone, as it was the same light that led her here. Her eyes widened as she saw the deity that was revealed to her as the light slightly dissipated.

 

“R-R-Ra???” her voice faltered as a comfortable feeling of warmth surrounded her; however, the confusion held on her face remained as she was lifted, suspended in mid-air.

 

The Sun God noticed the confusion on (your name)’s face, and realized that right now, his revelations might be a little too much for the young girl to handle. However, it had to be done, seeing as it was she who had sworn to do this task as a loyal servant of the royal court.

 

“My child, your bravery in Egypt has not been in vain; however, your duty is not done. Right now you must do what you are destined to do and fulfill the vow you made to the ancient throne of the Pharaoh,” the voice said in a divine but powerful tone.

 

“My v-vows? The a-a-ancient throne?” she stuttered, still afraid as all of this made no sense to her.

 

“All has been put to plan, and do you not remember your final words to the Pharaoh? When you took the hit from Diabound, you lost some of your memories. Fortunately, you do remember what happened that night you made your vow, don’t you?” Ra asked, as you nodded your head vigorously.

 

“I remember….. Casting the spell and protecting the Sacred Guardians from the beast…. I casted the spell you told me to do, my Lord. That’s all I remember. It’s all so confusing. I was attacked and sent here…. It felt like it was just yesterday that I had fallen and saw my life fleeting right before my eyes, but here I am alive….” she muttered.

 

“You seem to have forgotten some very important things, child. It’s up to you to find your memories in this modern world to help the Pharaoh as he has wiped out everything in his own mind. You, on the other hand, HAVE those memories, but will have to remember it with the help of your other half and then, merge,” Ra said again with a very serious and commanding tone.

 

“My other half?” she questioned, even more confused than she already was.

 

“You are the key to the Pharaoh’s victory and memories as you hold the knowledge of the ancient world. You have been transported here, a time where evil will strike harder and even more powerful than it did 5000 years ago. My dear (Your Name), you are now merely a spirit that was transported from the past.”

 

“But my lord! That can’t be true! I am here! In body and flesh!” she cried out. But as she looked down, she saw her entire body was nothing more than a translucent figure, scaring her even more.

 

“LISTEN, CHILD. You are not a complete soul. You are merely half of what you are and were. Your body still lies in the ancient world and unless you fulfill your destiny, it will deplete along with the world. You asked for my guidance? Then go and find your other half and merge to gain your memories!” the God commanded once more, being extremely stern with the stubborn spirit.

 

Tears fell as she looked at herself, her translucent body floating in the air. She didn’t know what to think about this, and she definitely was confused as to what to do next. One moment she was a loyal servant to the Pharaoh, another moment and she was merely a spirit expected to help the Pharaoh save the world. Barely remembering anything, she could not possibly know where to start on her quest. That was when she realized the light disappearing from sight before she yelled out to the deity.

 

“My Lord, please guide me! How will I find my other half?!” she yelled out as she started to chase the light that seemed to be moving further and further away from her.

“ I have said all that needs to be said. Look into your soul… The answer lies within the bangle on your arm…….” the voice said, soon becoming inaudible as he disappeared into thin air.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The atmosphere soon dimmed down and soon, (Your Name) returned to the same dark room she woke up in earlier. Ishizu was now in front of her with a concerned look on her face. Ishizu stared into (Your Name)’s eyes, trying to read her emotions only to find tears streaming down. Ishizu felt a slight sting in her heart as she saw this seemingly innocent girl cry in front of her. For some reason, Ishizu found that she felt somewhat connected to this girl. It almost felt like they were long lost siblings, sharing a sisterly bond that was formed way back in time; but she knew that she had never met this girl before. Not in this lifetime, at least. Although she felt hesitant to pressure the poor soul, she knew that she needed the explanation to know more about what fate had brought about.

 

“What happened?” Ishizu asked in a motherly tone, the concern in her eyes staying as she looked at the shaken girl.

 

“It was Ra….”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Months passed by, and (your name) was introduced to Ishizu’s younger brother and Odion. Although, everyone seemed to get along, the evil within Marik strengthened with the appearance of one of the Pharaoh’s loyal servants, namely (Your Name). (Your Name) knew this as well as Ishizu did, but there was barely anything that (your name) could do, as she was merely a spirit. Only reason that the Ishtars could see her was due to the Millenium Items they held. (Your Name) and Ishizu saw that your quest would start very soon with Marik evil side growing stronger, and they knew that it was time. Eventually, Marik had broken his own vow as a tomb keeper, stealing two Egyptian God cards before leaving without a trace.

 

With all that had happened, Ishizu had made plans of her own to travel to Domino City, and with the guide of her Millenium Necklace it seemed like she was the only pointer that (your name) had that could guide her to seek the path she had to follow.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the other side of the world, things seemed to progress as they usually do everyday. The students went to school; employers went to work. Everything seemed normal. Just like every other ordinary day, a girl by the name of (Your Name) walked along the street, making her way to school. This girl was you. You were just an ordinary girl, trying to live life with no hassle, but at the same time, you felt the need to live happily. The brightness evident in your eyes encouraged by-passers to greet you as you smiled warmly back at them. 

 

Sighing, you finally arrived in class, and the sight of your classroom did not surprise you at all. As per usual, a small group was crowded around a single desk, cheering on whomever it was that was playing those overrated card games. Dropping your bagpack on your seat, you continued looking at the small crowd before looking at the joyful expressions they held. You stared longingly before your attention was brought to an albino who walked into class. The albino who walked in was none other than Ryou Bakura.

 

As much as you’d like to admit that he was an interesting guy, it was weird how he was always so nice and happy even towards people who treated him badly. However, he was certainly known for being absent to class, along with Yugi and his gang, which seemed a little suspicious at times. After all, the lot of them were always away from class, doing who knew what. Probably playing those card games, you thought to yourself.

 

Bakura noticed that you were staring at him and smiled your way before giving you a little wave. A dust of pink was evident on your cheeks before you looked away, embarrassed. You and Bakura had never really engaged in a conversation, but then again, you barely conversed with anyone.

 

Slumping down on your chair, you let out a sigh before taking out your books and notes that you copied from last class. You pulled out some of the extra notes you made before looking at the name written on the top; it was Bakura’s name. Last week, the teacher instructed you to copy notes for him as he had been missing class for a whole week. Of course, being the kind and helpful soul you were, you did not mind photocopying your notes for him. You even copied a few for Yugi and his friends, but didn’t know if it was a little weird that you did that for them when you barely knew them at all.

In general, you were a helpful person, although you liked to hide it a lot. Growing up all alone definitely made you to be the character you were today, and sometimes, you did feel lonely. However, being distant didn’t stop you from being nice with others around you. You enjoyed happiness, and as much as you had barely any happiness in life, you knew that you’d be glad to provide it to others by helping and doing what you could. To you, it almost seemed like a duty you had. It was like that part of you was hard-wired into your system. To help others. Although the darkness in you did cause you emotional grief every once in a while, you managed to control the anger and hate that gathered. Much of your past seemed irrelevant to what you were living now, and you never liked looking back. All you had to do was look towards the future, and that was all that mattered to you now.

 

“Hello, (Your Name)!” a voice called out, bringing you out of your stupor.

 

Blinking your eyes, you saw the British albino looking at you with his warm brown eyes and a small smile plastered on his face.

 

“Hi, Bakura,” you smiled back.

 

He peered at the papers you held before blinking his eyes in confusion.

 

“Hmm, are those for me?” he said before pointing at the notes in your hand.

 

Looking at the papers you held in your hand, you let out a small laugh before looking back at Bakura.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. I haven’t seen Ryou Bakura in ages!” you said, joking about his constant absence from class.

 

He laughed light-heartedly before scratching the back of his head nervously, “Yeah, I have been away for a bit, haven’t I? But it’s a good thing I’m here now.”

 

“Yeah, here you go. I was just teasing. I don’t need these anyways,” you said before handing over his notes.

 

“Thank you, (your name). By the way, we haven’t talked to each other before, have we now?” he asked, hinting that it is the first time the both of you are actually conversing with each other.

 

“Yeah, I guess we haven’t. I guess, I’m a little to quiet for my own good,” you said before pouting.

 

Smiling warmly, he looked through his notes before looking back at you.

 

“Well, it was nice finally talking to you! And thank you for making copies of these notes for me. I really appreciate it,” he said, his smile never leaving his face.

 

“It was no problem, Bakura,” you replied, just as friendly as the person thanking you.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The day went by and as you predicted, another boring day. The school bells rang, and students fled out of the school doors as if their lives depended on it. You stood up before grabbing your bag as you saw a familiar group that stayed back in class. Looking at the tri-coloured haired boy specifically, you watched as he packed up his belongings when his mysterious pyramid-shaped necklace shone. Staring at the ornament, you felt your arm twitch from underneath your shirt. While the twitching of you arm distracted you, you failed to recognize the group walking towards the door you were currently standing by. Soon enough, the group was right in front of you, causing you to look at them.

 

“Um, hi?” you greeted awkwardly, not knowing what to say at this point.

 

For some reason, Yugi grew about a few inches taller and seemed a little more serious than he did just a moment ago which confused you to no end.

 

“Oh hey, (your name)! We wanted to thank you for the notes you copied for us! Bakura gave them to us, saying that you made them,” the blue-eyed brunette, you recognized as Tea, exclaimed.

 

“Oh, right!” your eyes lit up in recognition before you continued speaking, “it was no problem at all. I barely had anything to do at the time anyways,” you replied, shifting your gaze from Yugi to Tea.

 

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Yugi giving you a weird look as if he was trying to figure you out and you found that quite discomforting.

 

“Right on! Well, we always notice ya hanging by yerself’. Why don’t ya head to Yugi’s with us? We’ve got loads of Duel Monsters cards there!” the loud blonde guy, Joey, said.

 

“Ermmm…. I don’t know….” you thought out loud, “Not really a big fan of Duel Monsters….”

 

“WHAT?! Ya’ can’t be serious?! Ya’ definitely have to come over to Yugi’s now! We’ll make you a duel addict right away!” Joey exclaimed in a very outgoing manner, being the sociable person he was.

 

You thought for a moment and looked back at Yugi; his expression didn’t falter the slightest bit. Sweatdropping, you stared back at the tri-coloured haired boy once more before looking back at Joey.

 

“Erm, well, I guess…. I don’t have much to do this evening… So, only if Yugi’s ok with it…..” you said glancing back at Yugi.

 

“Of course,” Yugi said, giving a small smile, which slightly surprised you, to say the least…

 

The intensity of his eyes bore into your own as you felt a certain vibe from him. It was mysterious and almost spine curling. But before you knew it his eyes turned rather innocent again. Wait, innocent? You shook your head and looked at Yugi again and saw that his expression was completely different now. He also shrunk a few inches, and now you were officially confused.

 

“Well, come on! What are we waiting for?! Let’s head over to Yugi’s then,” Tristan said, breaking the awkward silence.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A jet plane has just landed from Cairo to Domino Airport. The female Egyptian tomb keeper opened her eyes as she stared out of the window.

“The time has come, (your name),” Ishizu mentioned to the spirit of the girl who sat beside her as she saw the silver bangle glow again, “we are now in Domino City.”

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, yes there are two you(s) in the story. I know it seems confusing, but please bear with me until the next chapter is out. I hope to get the explanations out in the next chapter if possible, so that I don’t keep you guys guessing. Alright, hope you enjoyed it! And feedback is appreciated :)


	3. Ch. 3 : Split Personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH.

The group of five walked down the street, passing by countless of shops as they chattered away. The chatter was mainly directed to their new friend who agreed to follow them back to Yugi’s game shop. Yugi, Joey, Tea and Tristan were just conversing with you as to be better acquainted with you. You, on the other hand, weren’t used to having that much attention; nevertheless, you complied with their curiosity and replied their questions. Of course, their conversations mainly revolved around Duel Monsters, seeing as it was something rather important to them. Even with that said, saying that it was ‘rather important to them’ seemed like an understatement, considering their total devotion for the game.

 

“So, ya’ do have a duel deck then?” Joey grinned as he walked beside you.

 

“Yeah, I do. It’s just that I don’t play the game too often,” you replied, looking at the blonde.

 

“Well, that’s good that you have a deck though! I’m guessing you already know the basics then!” Yugi said with an assuring smile of his own.

 

“Yeah. The basic rules are pretty self-explanatory. It’s not that I don’t know how to play. It’s just that I rarely have an opponent to duel against. Because of that, I just started losing interest in Duel Monsters. Don’t get me wrong. I used to be fascinated by the game. But eventually, it just started getting so overrated….” you ranted on, justifying why you barely played the game anymore.

 

You were brought to an abrupt stop when the blonde beside you jumped in front of you with fire in his honey-coloured eyes. This seemed to startle the others momentarily too, but the fiery duelist in front of you disregarded those confused stares, seemingly too busy trying to get your attention as his confident grin was plastered on his face.

 

“I’LL DUEL YOU! You’re talking to Joey Wheeler here, one of the Duelist Kingdom finalists!” bragged Joey with a thumbs-up directed to himself.

 

You let out a small chuckle at his eagerness; however, Yugi, Tea and Tristan merely sweatdropped at Joey, all thinking the same thing. Typical Joey behaviour.

“Ok, come on, Joey! We’re barely even at the game shop yet, and you’re challenging her, boasting about yourself already. Typical Joey,” Tea sighed before getting the group to move on as she ushered all of you with her hands.

 

“Yeah, yeah…. Who asked you, naggy Aunt Tea….?” Joey muttered under his breath, raising his arms, folding them behind his head as he walked on beside you, oblivious to the glaring Tea that looked like she was about to assault him and bitch-punch his head from the back.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Not too far away in the city, a duo was merely discussing about the turn of events that were about to transpire, hoping to plan and predict a way to fulfill their sworn tasks. Their minds were set on successfully accomplishing their mission; it was of vital importance that their undertakings be completed successfully as there was a lot at stake: lives and the world itself. The pair was seated near a window in a hotel room. The Millenium Necklace around the priestess’s neck was glowing as she held her hands in front of her mystical item, only to set her hands down moments later as she calmly opened her eyes.

 

“So, Ishizu? What happens now?” the ancient spirit asked Ishizu as the blue-eyed tomb keeper looked out of her hotel room window, staring at the hustle and bustle of the streets.

 

“I can sense that there is a high concentration of Millennium items within the city as the mystical energies within these items are growing restless. Although I cannot be sure, it would be much likely that you find your other half here,” Ishizu explained before closing her eyes again right after.

 

“But how, Ishizu…” the ancient spirit of (your name) trailed off before Ishizu interrupted her.

 

“This is where you have to find her on your own. You must understand that I cannot interfere with what fate has intended for you,” she said, her sapphire eyes gazing straight into the sprit’s discouraged eyes with the usual seriousness they held.

 

Ishizu eyes continued to gaze into (Your Name)’s with a familiar mysterious energy; familiar because it held the same enigma (Your Name) had known existed within her old sisterly figure, Isis. As much as (Your Name) adored Isis, back in that time, she usually felt rather exasperated with all the vague explanations Isis gave her, and this situation was almost déjà vu. This scene right here with Ishizu brought in a window of opportunity. The spirit shut her eyes as some memories of their ancient selves poured into her brain in small fragments, and before the spirit knows it, she was weakly clutching her forehead, gasping and panting loudly. She looked up at Ishizu only to receive a knowing look from the priestess.

 

“Was that quite helpful? They were visions right?” Ishizu questioned.

 

“Yeah….. Only small fragments. But I don’t think I can do this alone…..” (Your name) muttered before looking at the floor, feeling discouraged.

 

Getting up from where the spirit was seated, the ancient Egyptian spirit of (Your name) rose and was on her way out before Ishizu stood up from the one-seater couch.

 

“Just know that, you will find her. You won’t be alone for too long,” Ishizu reassured with a small smile on her face.

 

Looking at Ishizu, the spirit gave her a small smile in return with a strong urge to hug her; however, she just whispered a ‘thank you’ before walking through the door to set out on her task.

 

Ishizu’s eyes trailed after the spirit as she floated in mid-air out of the door. Ishizu sighed before looking out of her window, worried and slightly doubtful about the future before her thoughts were returned to her brother and their past.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Having arrived at Yugi’s game shop, you were soon introduced to Yugi’s grandpa. He seemed to be quite the funny old man to you. He appeared as short as Yugi and had a similar hairstyle to that of his own grandson, only his being grey from old age. The lot of you were now seated on an old but comfortable couch upstairs, looking at the various cards scattered in front of you on the coffee table.

 

Yugi observed the cards in front of you with a serious look on his face. Well, as serious as Little Yugi could look at least. That look on his face appeared a little cute to you because he almost seemed like a child trying to keep a serious look on his face. With this, you silently giggled as you observed his eyes as they stared intently at your cards. 

 

“What’s so funny, (Your Name)?” Tea asked, thinking that she missed something.

 

“Oh, nothing….” you said with a small smile before gazing at Joey and Tristan, dueling each other with a dueling mat sprawled out on the floor. [1]

 

Those two were on a roll and were the only noisemakers in the room as Yugi was evaluating your cards attentively while you and Tea sat quietly waiting for Yugi’s assessment and thoughts on your cards. However, Tea excused herself and left, heading to the direction of what you thought was the washroom, leaving you and Yugi. Sitting silently, you found your thoughts starting to wonder out of slight boredom.

 

‘It’s funny that I even brought my cards out with me today…. I usually just leave them at home….’ you thought to yourself, wondering why you even brought them out in the first place. You figured that maybe it was one of those weird days where you just did random stuff on random days. Shrugging, you looked back at the tri-coloured haired teen who then neatly stacked your cards before handing them back to you.

 

“Not bad, (Your Name)! You have some very good cards! I’m impressed,” he said encouragingly with a smile.

 

You accepted your cards from him, thanking him. Reaching your hand out to grab your cards from his hand, his thumb unintentionally brushed against your palm as you took your cards. Suddenly, right before you, his Millenium Puzzle slightly glowed as your eyes were drawn to the item around his neck. Feeling the twitching on your arm again, you saw a silver glint that illuminated from underneath your school blazer that only lasted a second. Soon the glow dissipated and you looked at Yugi’s face; he looked different again, and you felt the same mysterious aura surround him when you were all back in school. You dropped your cards out of the sudden surprise and they fell all over the floor. A confused look was drawn all over your face but you shook it off and apologized before picking up your cards. The ‘serious Yugi’, as you named him in your mind, stared at you as you collected your cards from the floor before bending over to help you.

 

“Thanks, Yugi. I think I’m a little zoned out today. I’m such a klutz,” you said with a small sheepish laugh as he helped you.

 

“Not at all, (Your Name),” he said with a deepened voice as he passed your cards to you.

 

Unbeknownst to you, a blink of silver appeared on your arm again, catching Yugi’s eyes as he observed it suspiciously.

 

“Whoa-hoa! Your voice changed?!” you exclaimed with a playful tone even though you were sincerely astonished by the deeper tone his voice held now.

 

You were oblivious to the fact that he held a slight suspicion towards you until you saw the look in his eyes as he keenly looked into your own. Growing nervous from his gaze, you rubbed your arm and fidgeted a little.

 

“Umm, it was just a joke, Yugi….” you reassured, thinking that he grew stern due to your joke about his voice.

 

Fortunately, Tea appeared again and broke this awkwardly tense situation. You were grateful for that because you had no idea what to say at that point and just felt unusually uneasy. Earlier, you meant that joke to be a subject opener to hopefully get an explanation as to why his whole appearance and voice changed, but after his reaction to your slight joke, you decided to throw that idea in the dump. To you, what you exclaimed were all out of innocent curiosity, not mockery! And you were hoping that he knew that. Nonetheless, that thought should have been the least of your worries. You did not know the true reason to his reacting this way. He was just actually trying to figure out what you were hiding, scrutinizing every emotion that was present in your eyes. You seemed to emit a strange aura in from within your soul, and it was all the more enigmatic to Yugi, or more specifically Yugi’s yami that you were unaware of, couldn’t sense whether this aura was good or bad.

 

Being embarrassed from this whole incident and the added fact that it was getting late, you scrambled to your feet and told the group you had to leave. Joey and Tristan conveniently finished their duel and walked over to where you, Yugi and Tea were as Joey constantly bragged about his victory and how Tristan sucked playing this game.

 

“Umm. Yeah, guys. Well, I had a good time today. I should get going though. It’s getting quite late,” you said as you got up, gathering all your belongings.

 

“What?! So soon?! You just got here! What about our duel?” Joey exclaimed disappointedly.

 

“Yeah, I know. I had fun hanging out with you guys though. But I’m afraid that it’s getting a little late and I really don’t want to head home in the dark,” you reasoned with them.

 

Yugi’s attentive stare never faltered for even a second as he observed you like a scientist observing a test subject. Your uneasiness just leveled up to the top when you noticed this, and with that, you were out by the store entrance, wearing your shoes. The others followed you like sheep following a herd dog, waving at you as you were about to take your leave. Yugi’s grandpa also appeared at the door to greet you goodbye as he reminded you that you were always welcome there.

 

“Well, just remember, (Your Name)! We will duel! Don’t think ya’ can escape us that easy!” Joey said with his usual cheeky grin.

 

“Yeah, for sure, Joey!” you smiled as you bid them goodbye.

 

“Yeah! We should do this again! It’s nice having a female friend once in a while,” Tea responded.

 

“Hah yeah, for sure,” you repeated before looking at Yugi and to your dismay, his innocent personality was not back yet.

 

“Well, bye, peeps. I guess I’ll see you all at school then,” you smiled.

 

“Ok. Take care,” ‘serious’ Yugi said before watching you take off from the driveway.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

You were walking by the side of the street, on your way home, with many thoughts running through your mind. You felt like your mind was going ridiculous with all the things you thought you were seeing. Was it only you who noticed Yugi’s slight change in appearance, voice and personality? Or did the others know and forgot to inform you of that fact? Maybe he had a split-personality or was bipolar, for all you knew. One moment he was as innocent as a baby, the next he was some kind of mystifying presence. It was all so incomprehensible to you. You even gave him a new nickname whenever he turned this way: ‘serious’ Yugi. But what about that glow that resonated from that relic of his? Was that all some how related to this eccentricity? Impossible! That sounds totally crazy. You scoffed at yourself before mentally declaring yourself a cracko for discerning all of this. All this was probably nothing. Maybe you really needed to stop working yourself too hard at school after all. You tried to ignore these thoughts only to fail miserably as your curiosity won the fight. Cracking your brain as you continued you train of thought, you barely even noticed where you were going.

 

‘Why do I feel so weird around him…..?’ you asked yourself in your head.

 

With your distracted mind unaware of where you were going, you failed to notice the person in front of you. You ended up bumping into someone and found yourself falling backwards on your bottoms. You let out a short shriek as that happened. Getting up, you looked at the person in front of you and meekly apologized; however, when you saw the face of the victim of your clumsiness, your faced paled considerably at what you saw.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

A certain white headed boy was walking along the streets after extra-curricular activities after school. He sighed before walking on the crowded streets of Domino City when that artifact of his started glowing. Ryou Bakura looked at the Ring that he wore on a cord around his neck before he heard a sinister voice echoing in his head.

 

“Well, well…. So the Ring senses something. This should be interesting,” the voice chuckled.

 

The hikari stopped dead in his tracks before looking worriedly at the Ring that was underneath his school uniform. Doing the only thing he could, he ran away, trying to find a secluded area as he tried to suppress the dark force within the Ring. Running into a dark alley, the meek boy pleaded the voice to leave him alone, but the voice only grew more sinister and amused.[2]

 

“Now, don’t be silly, little Ryou. I don’t see a need to take over your body as of yet. But when I do, I won’t hesitate to take over,” the spirit smirked as he then left his host’s mind.

 

Ryou was beyond terrified now and was afraid of what his darker self would do.

 

‘I have to go home immediately. There’s absolutely no time to lose,’ Ryou thought to himself before straightening himself.

 

Taking a deep breath, he ran out of the alleyway and ran through the streets. People watched as the boy dashed through in complete urgency. His face was full of anxiety and unease as he mentally begged the spirit to stay put. He could just imagine and feel the ancient spirit smirking at him and that just made him run faster until he saw a familiar face. His thoughts were scrambled as he screamed out in his mind, looking around in horror hoping that the familiar person would stay away from him. His Millenium Ring glowed brightly as it pointed towards the figure, blinding his eyes until darkness consumed his mind.

 

‘You will do as I say, little hikari…’ a malevolent laughter resonated in his mind when things started to go way beyond his control.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it =) Hope to get some feedback please :D
> 
>  
> 
> [1] – I was referring to the card mat from Episode 1. You know, the traditional method of playing Duel Monsters before they had those fancy duel disks. :P
> 
> [2] – In the second chapter, I referred to Ryou as ‘Bakura’, like in the English version of the anime. But now, I’ll just call him ‘Ryou’ to avoid any confusion. After all, the ancient Bakura was also called Bakura. Hell, all three of them are called Bakura at some point! So it gets pretty damn complicated! And also, I’ll refer to the spirit of the Ring as Yami Bakura probably…. Or something of that sort.


	4. Ch. 4 : Initial Revelations

The winds blew hard against the form that stood on the pavement, every so often whistling while the tresses from said figure’s head blew in multiple directions. The beating of the organ in your chest felt as though it had dropped at the surprise that overwhelmed your entire being.  You stared at the figure in front of you in disbelief as the sounds of the noisy street faded into complete silence, for your focus was on the object of your astonishment. The figure in front of you mirrored your expression, but that was not the reason you were brought into this state. Your eyes scanned her head to toe over and over again as you began to believe you were hallucinating. Her hair flowed down her head in the same way yours was styled; her facial features were terrifyingly accurate to your own. It wasn’t just the expression that she mirrored, but your entire appearance! The only difference was that her skin was a few tones darker than yours were, and her clothing looked as though they were props used to dress actresses in a movie with an ancient Egyptian setting. She was covered with golden ornaments around her head, neck and arms while the white dress-like garment that covered her tanned body contrasted against her skin.  Her uncanny resemblance to you distracted you from noticing that she was translucent and was slightly hovering taller above you.

 

Shaking your head, you looked up again right after. She was still there, standing in the same position she stood moments ago. However, you noticed that the shock locked on your clone’s face disappeared to be replaced with a serious expression, as she looked deep into your eyes with emotions you could not interpret.

 

“So you must be my other half….” she muttered more to herself, than she was talking to you.

 

“W-what?” you blurted out, stumbling back a few steps.

 

“(Name), listen…” she started only to have you interrupt her in an ungraceful and stuttering manner.

 

“H-h-how do you know my name?! And why do you look almost exactly like me?!” you voiced out as you looked at the spirit in front of you, unbeknownst to you she was indeed the spirit of your past existence.

 

Without a word she advanced towards you only to have you back away carelessly as you yelled at her to stay away from you, but she took no heed to your cries. The same silver sparkle that you witnessed on your arm back in Yugi’s house was back as it enveloped the silver accessory that was under your pink school blazer. You stopped dead in your tracks as the spirit too, had the exact same bangle around her fore arm. The distance between the both of you was almost gone as she continued advancing. Her form was right in front of you when you shut your eyes as the blinding silver glint from your ornament grew stronger. As soon as you opened your eyes again she was right in front of you, but  in a sudden blur, she then disappeared into your own being. Looking around frantically, you scanned for your doppelganger, but she was nowhere to be found.  Touching your arm that you wore your silver armlet on, you felt it throb, as your countenance was that of a frantic one from the events which alarmed you, factoring in your thoughts being in total frenzy. 

 

“Hey, you. Are you alright?” a by-stander on the street asked as he noticed the frightened expression on your face.

 

You nodded your head furiously in mindlessness before running away rapidly. Thoughts ran through your head at full speed right now for you could barely make any sense of this occurrence. Couldn’t the by-stander have seen that girl? She advanced towards you and nobody even stopped her when you protested. But then she disappeared! Where could she have disappeared to?! You didn’t understand what just happened. How did she know your name or more importantly, why did she look exactly like you?! Fear built up in within you as you felt the need to get home quickly. 

 

That was when you heard a voice in your mind. However, as much as it sounded very much like your own voice, you had the impression that it was not your voice or thoughts. For the matter, that voice sounded exactly like the girl from just now, who also sounded exactly like you. Then, the voice started conversing with you, claiming to have heard your thoughts and understood your confusion.

 

‘(Name), I can hear your thoughts. Listen to what I have to say. And speak to me through your mind. I understand you are very confused right now, but you have to comprehend what I’m about to tell you.’ the voice informed in a mysterious tone and almost in a formal slang.

 

‘Now I’m hearing voices….That’s it. I’m probably going insane and mental,’ you thought to yourself before putting your hands on your face, rubbing at your temples.

 

‘Unless you take this seriously, you will stay as confused as you are,’ the voice retorted.

 

‘Who are you and what do you want?’ you thought in your mind for her to hear.

 

‘I am a spirit that dwelled during the Pharaoh’s time and am brought here to provide assistance to the Pharaoh, so that his excellency can rid the world of the impending evil that will strike. I was also known as (Name), and am merely your spirit from your past. Before you deny this, you must understand that it is of importance that you regain knowledge of what happened in the past before you assume that this is all ludicrous,’ the spirit spoke in a regal manner as you listened to what she had to say.

 

‘You are a spirit?’ you questioned in disbelief, “’you mean to say…. you were me in the past during a time when Pharaohs existed?’

 

‘Indeed. What are you contemplating?’ the spirit asked, a little annoyed at the tone you questioned her.

 

‘I’m sorry. It’s just really hard to believe,’ you replied honestly as you continued conversing with her in your mind.

 

“Seems like you need some more convincing. As proof, I’ll reveal to you certain questions that wander in your mind. I know you almost as well as you do, (Name). Maybe even more so than you do yourself.’

 

“Listen, where are you and where’s your voice coming from? If you want to talk to me, at least show me your face,” you said aloud this time as you walked along the empty pavement. You were the only one walking along this part of the street, pacing swiftly despite your concentration on the conversation you were having with the voice.

 

‘Why, I’m now within your being with the help of the silver accessory on your arm. However, if I reveal myself to you in spirit form again, just like how I appeared before you just now, you would just be brought into a distraught state while having nervous fits,’ the spirit mocked slightly, and you could not help but feel that she also mirrored your character and personality. Being the individual that you are, you could not help but respond back with the same mockery evident in her voice.

 

‘Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?! You just show up out of nowhere and expect me to greet you like this: Hello, fancy meeting you! I’m (Name) and it’s amazing how we look identical! Oh you’re some Pharoah’s loyal servant that came to save the world?! Oh, I’m just a student in Domino High with little to no significant ambition at all like saving the world from damnation, really,’ you ridiculed with a smart-ass reply of your own. 

 

The spirit scoffed, waving off your immature sarcasm before thinking to herself as she realized how similar the two of you really were. Before forgetting that she was also as confused as the girl she was now residing in, this spirit had no idea of where or how her path will continue or how she would convince her futuristic self. In actuality, she reacted in the same dubious approach like (Name) when she found out she was merely a spirit transported through time. And now, (Name) was struck in the same state of disbelief that initially struck her. However, this childish sarcastic argument that was resulted from all this ‘ludicrous’ made the spirit think about how similar they were. Perhaps they were definitely the same soul, split into two with the sole purpose of aiding the Pharaoh, just like Amun Ra informed? That was when the spirit dwelled on her past as she felt the vague feeling of homesickness surface, despite any actual remembrance of her origins. 

 

You on the other hand were ranting on and on while the spirit pondered with her own thoughts. Did she really react in this fashion when she resided in the palace some thousand years ago? The spirit smiled figuring that she probably reacted just like (Name) did whenever someone teased her. Like that time Priest Seto called her a child only for her to retort that she was the ‘child’ capable of accomplishing the simple task of fighting off bandits when he relied on his monsters to do his bidding. And then, there was also the time when Mahad teased that she took things a little too seriously only to have her reply smartly that he was probably one of the most serious men in Egypt and he was in no position to say that.  Visions flew by the spirit’s eyes once more and it seemed that she was not the only one witnessing these revelations. Her host stopped walking as she stared ahead while images of the past flashed before her eyes. As soon as the visions faded, the spirit looked at the expression her host held and was quite satisfied with what she saw. 

 

Your eyes were widened; you had two visions of your ancient-self interacting with a couple of high priests by the names of Mahad and Seto.  Well, it might not have been the most serious or important revelation that could have been revealed to you, but it certainly got you thinking what this all could mean. You have never had visions like these before and all this was so new to you. Of course, you were confused beyond your own imagination. You just witnessed something that probably happened 5000 years ago, and having to accept that is difficult, considering you were from the world as we know it now in the 21st Century. In the present, the world certainly had its own standards of ‘normality’ set where everyone is a human with no superpowers or monsters, whatsoever.  So, how could you be expected to believe in the supernatural like ancient spirits travelling back through time?  Although your brain felt this way with the reasoning and logic it provided, your heart was telling you a different story. Somehow deep inside, you wanted to believe this, but to any sane person, this would all seem like some clichéd movie. Your ancient spirit soon brought you out of your train of thought with a question of her own. 

 

‘Does that answer some of your questions on whether this is all a delusion or if it is real?’ the spirit asked her host.

 

‘I don’t know what happened and what I just saw, but you know what…. You, spirit… You are probably just some make-believe voice I’m hearing in my head…. I’ve had a long day and this is by far, the weirdest day of my life. Not only did I just hang out with a bunch of new friends and one of them appeared to be having some split-personality disorder, but also on my way home, I found out I have some ancient spirit that claims to be me from the past. When I get home and get some sleep, hopefully everything will return to normal when I wake up tomorrow,’ you ranted on to yourself and the spirit as you stubbornly denied all the crazy events that happened today.

 

‘Why do you insist on denying your destiny?! Don’t you see that you vowed to assist the Pharaoh?!’ the spirit then yelled back with the same stubbornness and frustration as she grew impatient with your constant refutation.

 

‘First off, voice in my head, even if you are real, I can assure you I made no such vow. You did that as you said YOU are here to save the world, not me.  Now if you will excuse me, I have to get home and you talking with me is delaying me from doing that,’ you said as you continued your fast walk along the street.

 

‘I am you, and deep in your heart, you know that, ’ the spirit explained.

 

‘No, you’re not. A delusion in my mind, maybe but me, not so much.’

 

Although you showed a strong abjuration towards the fact that this was all real, you could not help but feel deep within your heart that this was all of total relevance to you. But for now, you would rather be called a lunatic than believe in this when there was no evidence whatsoever proving this was legitimate. 

 

‘You know, you are not the only one confused about this for I am just as confused as you are.  I have lost much of my memories from which I came from and only if we co-operate can we fulfill this destiny of ours for we are one and the same. Until you finally accept your fate, your negligence will be the cause of the destruction of the world,’ the spirit warned before you sensed the voice disappearing in your mind.

 

‘And now, I’m blaming myself for possibly bringing chaos to the world…. I really got to stop beating myself down. Where do I get these ideas?’ you thought to your voice only to hear silence, ‘huh, maybe there really is no voice in my head after all. I probably was just arguing with the imaginary voice in my head. Just my imaginative mind going on creative mode with scenarios of me appearing to have an ancient spirit,’ you said to yourself, unable to tell the difference between daydream and reality at this point. Unknown to you, this was all real and perhaps another occurrence would prove that to you. 

 

Unaware of the fact that a familiar presence stood near you, a certain pale individual eyed you quite closely, clinging onto his golden ornament tightly. The rattle of the golden relic sent almost silent rings throughout the unusually empty street as the sky darkened slowly.  You wrapped your blazer around yourself tighter subconsciously as you felt chills travel through the back of your spine, giving you all the more reason to walk faster.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Please, don’t do this. What has she have to do with you?’ the meek boy pleaded in his soul room when his yami took over his body.

 

His darker self growled at his lighter half, as his constant whining was getting rather annoying now. Growling out his answer, he said that it was necessary that he took care of some business with that girl the Ring pointed at as she might be holding onto one of the seven Millennium Items. Ryou widened his eyes at this and voiced out his opinion, hoping that it was enough to keep his yami away from his new friend. 

 

(Name)? How could she be in possession of the seven Millennium Items? This does not make any sense. If she did, the Millennium Ring would have pointed at her when I was in class with her!” Ryou pointed out.

 

Although the Spirit of the Millennium Ring hated to admit it, his host was right. Of course, he would rather stab himself than admit that to Ryou; then again, he was a sadistic fellow who took pleasure in seeing blood and gore, and also if he did stab himself, Ryou really would be the one suffering the bodily injuries. 

 

Ignoring the temptation, he had to wonder why the Millennium Ring reacted so strongly with its target, considering the strong possibility that you did not even have a Millennium Item. Ryou seemed to believe that you did not, and his hikari was a terrible liar, so Ryou tricking him to avoid any harm towards his friend would be out of the question. 

 

‘Hmm, I guess it would be interesting to look into it myself. Hmm, not a bad idea at all,’ the spirit thought to himself before licking his lip as his eyes glowered darkly at the girl in sight.

 

‘Yami, don’t! Don’t hurt (Name)!’ Ryou yelled out in his soul room only to be ignored and shut out in his soul room by the dark spirit.

 

The boy strolled out of the corner he stood by, coming out of the shadows as his dark chocolate eyes were glued onto the form that was walking towards him, unknowing of his presence. His thieving skills definitely came in handy when it came to situations like this as he blended well with hiding his presence. As soon as his target was close enough, he stepped out. (Eye colour) orbs met dark chocolate ones from ten feet away. The girl ceased walking towards the boy and stared at him before looking away, trying to avoid his eyes.

 

‘Hmm, that is certainly suspicious. Or perhaps she’s the shy type? Well, guess we will find out, won’t we?’ the evil spirit mused as a smirk presented itself onto his lips.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Walking on ahead, you heard the jingling sound of metal, chiming like bells as the wind started to blow more furiously. From where, you could not care at the moment as you were focused on getting home to get some rest to get rid of all the madness going on in your head. This was certainly too much information and fairytales forced into your brain for a lifetime, let alone a whole day. A frown made its way on your face as you noticed a figure that appeared in front of you. A very familiar figure, to be precise.  Your eyes soon came in contact with dark brown ones, and your eyes flickered in recognition. It was Ryou Bakura from school. What was he doing out here at this time? Whatever he was doing out here, you needed to avoid him at all costs before you talk to him and start on some nonsensical story about today’s occurrence.  After all, the both of you were now friends and you’d prefer not to destroy his initial image of you being your helpful self with you being a lunatic. 

 

Looking away from him, you tried finding a way to get out of there as naturally as you could without looking as though you were doing this on purpose. Your efforts were proven futile when he walked towards you in a menacing manner. Wait… Ryou Bakura? Menacing? That boy was maybe as menacing as a rabbit, for crying out loud and that was not saying much! Feeling the temperature drop, the environment around you started to feel strange as the boy approached you. His wild white hair was in disarray unlike when he was in school when it was neatly combed to flow perfectly; his face featured a smirk replacing his usual soft smile, as his eyes appeared narrower than you had remembered them to be. This almost reminded you of how Yugi’s appearance changed when you were back at the game shop, appearing darker and more mysterious. He closed the distance between the two of you, as he was now standing right in front of you, his eyes never leaving yours. By now, darkness has enveloped the streets and the only source of light that kept the streets lit up was the dimly lit street lamps.  Gulping, you looked up at him and greeted him.

 

“Hi, Bakura! What you up to at this time of the night?” you asked, feeling slightly frightened for some unusual reason.

 

The male in front of you chuckled malevolently, bringing you to cluelessness. You did not think that your greeting was that funny. 

 

“Bakura? If you mean by Ryou, he is not here right now,” he replied with a husky tone, unlike Ryou’s smooth voice that you were familiar with.

 

“What are you talking about?” you asked, ‘if you are not Ryou, who are you?” 

 

He decided to ignore you until you chuckled pathetically before adding jestingly, “Let me guess, some spirit trapped within Ryou’s soul if I didn’t know any better.”

 

The Spirit of the Millennium Ring looked at you, amused by what you had just said. Grabbing you by the arm, he forcefully dragged you into the dark corner where he previously stood at and slammed your body against the wall painfully.  Your back ached at the sudden impact and left you vulnerable to the male in front of you. He took this opportunity to seize you, locking you from moving or struggling. He held you by the collar of your blazer, pulling you closer to his face as his other hand held both of your hands in a tight grip.

 

“I will be the one doing the questioning here, and I WILL get the answers I’m seeking,” he demanded roughly, showing no signs of the boy you knew.

 

Fear was now evident in your eyes and you were sure that whoever this man was, he knew of the fright you were in right now. Surely, his smirk grew wider as he noticed your helplessness through your eyes. 

 

“Now that we know where we both stand in this conversation, listen closely. Are you in possession of any of the Millennium Items?” he questioned hoarsely, looking quite sternly at you.

 

That was when you looked blankly at him, as you had no idea of what he was talking about. Millennium Items? You had never heard of such a thing before. Was this some kind of joke?

 

“Ummm, pardon?” you voiced out in puzzlement only for him to scowl as his patience was wearing thin.

 

“Playing dumb is not going to work in your favour, woman. So I suggest if you are smart enough to think for yourself, you’d better speak up,” he spoke threateningly, as his grip on your collar tightened, choking you in the process. 

 

‘(Name), let me take over,’ you heard the voice in your head echo through your mind.

 

‘Take over?’ you asked the voice in your mind as you felt a presence forcing its way into your cognizance when your body merely screamed out in pain as your lungs were deprived from oxygen.

 

‘(Name), I’m taking over. Trust me,’ the voice spoke out as you gave in, feeling yourself being locked into your own mind. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Your eyes fluttered open, taking in the view of what seemed like a dark room.  Looking towards one of the many walls in the room, you saw an opening in the wall. Upon further inspection of said opening, you peered through it and saw yourself and the man who had been interrogating you just moments ago.

 

Your exterior seemed slightly different, as your skin appeared tanner than it actually was. It almost looked like your spirit you have met earlier, save the peculiar clothing she wore. You observed as the spirit that now had control over your body raised her hand and roughly removed Bakura’s grip from her collar.

 

“You…..” she whispered with sentiments evident in her face.

 

Yami Bakura glared at her with an eyebrow raised, masking the doubts he was having right now.  The atmosphere between them started to grow eerily filled with confusion, hate, anger and betrayal.  All you could do was watch as these two spirits exchanged stares with each other. Bakura had a mild glare in his eyes while your ancient spirit held a look that could not be described. The look on her face was filled with emotions, but at the same time they seemed almost undetectable by the coldness that masked some of her warmer emotions. Suddenly, you felt your heart warming up and the beating in said organ increasing its workload as it started to beat twice as hard. You felt all of what your ancient spirit was feeling at the moment as emotions overwhelmed your own soul as if you were actually the ancient spirit. The sentiments were so strong that you could barely let your mind think logically and gave in as you felt as though your mind was being refreshed and merged into the spirit’s. The memories that started returning to you after several millennia has began to freely seep into your mind, slowly and vaguely.

 

“Akefia…..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this chapter :) Hope you guys comment and tell me your thoughts on how this turned out. I'll also be happy to accept constructive criticism. Thanks.


	5. Confrontatiom

**Chapter 5 : Confrontation**

 

“Akefia…” your ancient spirit whispered to the albino in front of you.

 

Silence.

 

The wind was harsh as the dark alleyway started growing eerier with what seemed like darkness in the form of purple fog.

 

As that name was whispered, it rung through Bakura’s ears. The silence just dramatized the sheer volume of that whisper as it resonated in the former thief’s mind like never ending bells. Said man’s demeanor was quite taken aback by the name he was addressed by for bewilderment raided through his brain. 

 

Suspicion arose from within Bakura as hidden feelings of rage, confusion and betrayal soon took over him. Akefia? Where did this girl acquire such information about him? Never had he thought that anyone knew his real name. Not even back in Ancient Egypt when he reigned as the King of Thieves! He was merely called by the name ‘Bakura’ in the past and as the ages past. Not until recently did he regain the memory of his true ancient Egyptian name, and doing so was no easy task. So how did this pathetic woman know such information about him?

 

Despite his suspicion, he could not recognize why he felt so strongly about being called ‘Akefia’. It barely made any sense as he believe that he has never met this girl before. Or had he? Narrowing his dark chocolate orbs dangerously at the ancient spirit of (Your Name), who was now in control of your body, he growled out menacingly, demanding an explanation.

 

“What did you say?” he gnarled with malice lacing his words as he threateningly took a step towards you, his keen eyes observing you meticulously.

 

~~~

Meanwhile, you watched from your soul room as your prehistoric alter ego handled the situation in a rather calm manner. Her demeanor was one of seriousness. Her eyes shone with understanding, compassion and determination, yet at the same time it was clouded with sorrow, pain and regret. That mixture of emotions was so perplexed, but it felt like it held so much significance. You only had to wonder what she had with Bakura in the past and if she and Bakura had really existed back in the past. 

 

Due to your ancient spirit’s silence, Bakura grew impatient and seethed out in a commanding tone, “Girl, what do you speak of?!”

 

His dark chocolate-crimson eyes bore down into yours, and from your soul room, you shivered at the intensity. However, your past counterpart kept a stiff upper lip, keeping herself composed. Unafraid, your alter ego negated the question easily in a taunting manner.

 

“You know what I speak of. So why ask me?” 

 

“Why did you address me by that name?!” Bakura re-phrased as he felt his tolerance for your cooperation wearing thin.

 

Observably, he wasn’t going to take this from a mere stupid girl, so the intimidation would commence. If it was fear that would force out the answer from her, fear was what he would make her feel. Taking a step forward, his eyes never left ‘yours’ as he searched your own for an answer. His eyes also acted as instruments of intimidation that would force out answers from your lips. Perhaps that technique would work on any mortal; however, unbeknownst to him, he was NOT conversing with a mortal anymore. (Your name)’s counterpart was now in charge of what was to be said and answered by the mortal she was now controlling. 

 

“Isn’t that who you are, thief?” you heard that voice leaving your very own lips as ‘you’ answered the re-phrased question.

 

Closing the distance between the both of you, said thief grew frustrated with how this was going and caged your being with his form.

 

“I have little patience for such foolishness and games,” Bakura, or also known as Akefia, retorted.

 

“Who said I was playing one?” 

 

You stared from your soul room wide-eyed at your controlled body. Did your ‘ancient spirit’ want to get you killed?! Bakura was obviously furious at her taunting and you felt fear coursing through you. What would happen if he decided to hurt you? But why was Bakura acting like this?! Did Bakura have an ancient spirit within him too or was this the true nature of Bakura? A malicious heartless man who had always been in disguise of a meek polite person? Leaving those thoughts running in your head, you watched as the conversation continued.

 

“Reveal your identity, you useless mortal,” the thief commanded as he grabbed the collar of your shirt threateningly once more.

 

“To a petty soul stealer like you? Why?” she spat out, finally angered by Bakura’s violent actions.

 

Bakura lifted you by the collar and slammed your body against the wall, just to illustrate that he had power and he was not afraid to use it. He was tired of beating around the bush and he would use force to get appropriate answers from you.

 

Pain coursed through you and you felt it from your soul room. Although you weren’t in control of your body, it was still your body! You felt every bit of pain that was inflicted on you, regardless of who was in control. Your darker counterpart slightly winced but did not allow that to break her down. Soon, a cold metal blade was put onto the side of your neck as the jewelry around Bakura’s neck glowed.

 

“Because I shall send you to eternal darkness and if you ever dare refuse, a one way trip to the shadow realm,” Bakura finally managed to slip a smirk onto his face as he clearly had the upper hand.

 

“Like you give me any choice?” your ancient spirit spat out again, this time glaring at Bakura.

 

That seemed to amuse the thief. 

 

The thief let a slight chuckle resound from his throat before stating, “the first smart statement you’ve made.”

 

Cold, emotionless eyes bore into the thief newfound smugness. Your darker counterpart did not want to hand out free information that could be used against the Pharaoh. That was against her mission and duties. How could she trust him when she lost her own memories? All she could remember about him was the memories of her death by his hands. Aside from that, she felt warm feelings resurfacing, but it also clashed with the colder feelings that forced her to treat Bakura as an enemy. However, to ensure her host’s safety, she might have to offer some answers. In fact it might even work out in her favour if she manipulated her words right. The slightest smirk appeared on her face before her stoic composure returned

 

“ I’m (Name). The girl who betrayed you, in your eyes thief,” your ancient-self countered.

 

~~~

 

Bakura showed no signs of emotion, but he wanted further elaboration on that as his grip got harder. He showed no mercy and was on the verge of choking you to death while his dagger made a little slit on your neck. But then a disruption occurred. In that instant, a burst of light enveloped two said figures as they fell through a dark abyss. You experienced this from your soul room and deduced that these are more of those visions, like what happened this afternoon. 

~~~

”(YOUR NAME)!!!!” a blue eyed Egyptian lady yelled from across the hall. She was dressed in expensive Ancient Egyptian clothing that proved her to be a loyal servant from the palace. Perhaps she was a priestess… 

 

A group of people followed her actions as they approached the fallen (Your Name). The Pharaoh and Thief King were shocked at this outcome as Diabound returned to his master. The thief king stared wide at the scene before him.

 

“(Your Name)…? This can’t be….” he whispered, unable to maintain his usually smug and cruel demeanor.

 

~~~

Light-headedness was what you felt when you regained your senses. Looking around while your vision was unclear, you looked at your palms only to realize that you were back in control of your own body. Your ancient counterpart seemed to be missing in action, but your thoughts did not last long. Soon, you became aware of the albino that stood up in front of your seated self. In anticipation, you closed your eyes and shielded your face with your hands, afraid that he would hurt you, but to your surprise the man only threw a monstrous glare towards you before retreating away from the alley. You were left in silence, and soon tears made your way to your eyes.

 

You felt as though you were going crazy with all these delusions. You were thankful that malicious man was now gone, but it didn’t help that your bruised, slightly bleeding and worn out form was here in an alley while you felt yourself becoming absurd with all these fairy tales being forced into your brain.

 

Picking yourself off the ground, you wiped away the tears that began to spill before running out of the dark corner. Those visions started to torment you as they filled your head with questions. You needed to get them out of your head. You needed to go home. You needed to leave this craziness behind.

 

‘I’m going mad…. What do I do?’ you cried out to yourself as you hurried home. You didn’t want anymore of these strange encounters. You were tired of getting these visions. They weren’t real; so why did they keep occurring?

 

Arriving back at your home, you threw the door open before slamming it shut. Locking it hastily, you leaned on your door before running through the events that happened. You ran a hand through your disheveled hair before letting your mind wander again. You felt so confused about all that has happened and to think it all occurred on one day. The visions… They all felt so real. Why would they occur if they weren’t real? But they couldn’t be actual events that happened in the past! It’s impossible! And why was Bakura so strange? You could never have imagined him acting the way he did towards anyone! He was so rough and cruel. The Ryou Bakura you knew was supposed to be meek, kind and polite. Well, as far as you knew, that was how he acted in class. 

 

Deciding to put this behind you, you soon prepared for the night. However, what awaited your slumber will soon torment you with the same questions that you continued asking yourself.

 

~~~

 

The next morning was an ordinary morning for everyone else out there. The sun was out as birds chirped while they perched on the trees outside the building. Soon, the school bells rang and students began flocking into their classes. 

 

The teacher on duty was now calling out names to record student attendance. Almost everyone was present. Almost. 

 

“Yugi Motou?”

 

“Here!”

 

“Joey Wheeler?”

 

“Over here!”

 

“Seto Kaiba?”

 

“…Hnn.”

 

“Ryou Bakura?”

 

“Present as well.”

 

“(First Name)(Last Name)?”

 

Silence.

 

“(First Name)?” 

 

Again the teacher was responded with silence. A certain tri-colour haired student looked suspiciously towards your desk in a questioning manner. Joey, Tea and Tristan soon followed Yugi’s actions and wondered why you were absent. After all, they just saw you last evening, and it seemed strange that you would be missing school since you were concerned about arriving home early due to getting up for school the next day. 

 

“Does anybody know where (Your Name) is?” the teacher voiced out.

 

“Umm, sensei? We saw (Your Name) yesterday after school. However, that was the last we saw of her. She said she was heading home after,” Tea informed the teacher. 

 

The teacher thought that it was quite odd, but decided to move on with class. Unbeknownst to everyone, Ryou Bakura was put into a very uneasy position. He continued to stare at the desk that you usually sat in. His brain ran through possible things that his yami could have done to you. The taunting and horror filled images began running through his mind. His yami was capable of so many things and many of his friends were hurt because of the Spirit of the Ring. Some even lost their lives because of that heartless presence in him. Ryou’s warm brown eyes fumbled shakily with the blazer that hid his Millenium Ring. 

 

‘Yami, what did you do to her?’ Ryou voiced in his mind as he looked at the Ring that he wore under his school blazer, feeling sadness creep upon him.

 

He heard a scoff before he felt his darker half leave his cognizance. The white-haired boy soon felt guilt overwhelming him and he couldn’t stand the thought of (Your Name) being hurt because of him, being the kind soul that he was. Unbeknownst to him, an anonymous entity recognized this expression on poor Ryou’s face. Eyes narrowed while they calculated the nervous countenance of the albino.

 

“Hnn…” 

 

~~~

 

Author’s note: Hello, fellow readers. I know it had been forever since I updated. Life has been crazy and for a while, I've neglected anime. But now I'm back! So hopefully, I'l be around to write more! Would love feedback as well! Thanks! <3


	6. Grey Road to Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, guys! Yes, I’m finally back. It has been a really long time since I’ve logged in too, but thank you all for the feedback. It’s just been crazy the past two years since I started uni, work and had plenty of life drama, and eventually, I just lost the time to do any writing at all. Anyways, now I finally am motivated to go back to the drawing board. So now, I’m back to update TBDAE and I really hope that you all would enjoy this long awaited chapter! I will admit. I have gotten rusty from my fanfic writing retirement, but I will try to get back into it! ☺ Again, feedback is always appreciated!

**Ch. 6 : Grey Road to Realization**

There was panting. Breathless gasping was the only sound that resonated in the deafening silence. There was something approaching. The sound of pattering footsteps suddenly grew louder, echoing in this strange unknown place. 

Where was this place? There was no sky; neither was there ground. It was simply an empty abyss that went on forever like a depthless pool of nothingness. It all seemed like some abstract nightmare. The emptiness. The silence. It inflicts a sense of hopelessness and nonexistence. The nothingness in this void made it excruciatingly difficult to remain in; in fact, it was impossible to remain here any further. How could one exist when there was nothing in such a barren place? In a place such as this, there remained no reason for existence. 

“No, I can’t allow this. I need a reason. A reason to exist.”

All that was visible in this empty void were two contrasting sides that divided into two conflicting extremes: the bright blinding light in one half of this abyss and a dark overwhelming gloom in the other half. Both were dreadfully overwhelming and threatened to engulf one’s soul, regardless of the choice one made. This abyss was an empty canvas of black and white representing light and darkness. The contrast between light and dark. Perhaps they would consume one’s soul, no matter how far one tried to run away.

But how could there be the existence of light and darkness in an empty void? How was it that said empty void represented anything at all, let alone light and darkness? Did it truly have a meaning at all or was this some delusion that has taken over the mind--- but, whose mind? 

“Who am I? Why am I here?”

All that was could be done was to run. You were running right on the tightrope between light and darkness, and there was an unidentified force that chased you. You knew not why you ran, but you did so regardless. There was no reason, but you needed to discover one. You needed a logical reason to exist and move forward in this world. Ultimately, did it really matter which side would engulf you as long as you found a reason for existence? 

The force that threatened to overwhelm you tailed you for what seemed like an eternity. It was driving you forward, forcing a reason for you to trudge onwards. Or was it that it was trying to shove you off that tightrope, so that you could finally choose a side? What was in the light or darkness anyways? 

However, there was a change in scenery. The once distinguishable contrasting extremes of light and darkness had merged. The abyss or void, as one could call it, was engulfed in a murky grey. How could one distinguish between light and darkness now? Soon, the threatening aura has caught up. Was it too late?

“No…” 

Was it destiny? Was this force destiny imposing upon you a choice that you must make? Or was this a visualization of one’s true uselessness hidden under the façade of being destined to ‘do something’ in an empty and meaningless world? Was it right for one to believe in destiny or not? 

Perhaps it was not simply a distinction of light and darkness, but the mashing of both clashing energies that was creating this obscure conception of destiny.

The confusion is suffocating. The force is engulfing. Perhaps it’s something that can’t be escaped, but accepted.

~*~

RINGGGGGGG!!!!!!! A loud noise boomed from the small device on the nightstand beside your bed.

“AHHH!” a startled scream came out of your lips before your eyes snapped open as you tried to catch your breath. Your eyes then darted to the annoying contraption that resounded ceaselessly on the nightstand beside you. Picking up your cellphone, you switched off the alarm you had set the night before and dropped your head back down as you rested a hand over your face.

The morning light seeped through the window blinds, brightly illuminating your dark non-lit room. The birds sang like they habitually did in the mornings, and you were here on your own bed, awake as you always were, same time every morning during the weekdays. 

“It was just a dream,” you said aloud with a relieved sigh.

Despite this short-lived relief that washed over you upon your realization that it was just a dream, confusion still plagued your mind. You did not know what to make of this immaterial and almost nonsensical dream. 

_‘What did this all mean?’ ___

_Could it be that destiny was catching up to you?_

__

~*~

“I wonder where (Your Name) is. I’m worried about her. She hasn’t shown up to school since yesterday,” Teá muttered as she stared out the window from where she was seated in class.

One might ask why they were even bothered being so worried over you; however, it was only natural since they were the last people to have seen you, or so they thought. Regardless, it seemed odd that you would have skipped school when you were so concerned on getting back home early just because it was a school night. Something just did not seem to add up right.

“Yeah, who knows what might have happened,” Yugi added with concern before speculating the worst, “I hope she’s alright because it seems like everyone who comes in contact with my puzzle and I has always been put into immediate danger.” 

“Oh, come on, Yug! Don’t be so hard on yourself there! Let’s pay her a visit after school and see if she’s alright!” Joey exclaimed in attempt to lighten his friend up.

“One problem, genius. We don’t know where she lives,” Tristan stated the obvious, rejecting his friend’s idea.

“Oh yeah, ya’ have a better idea than that, wise guy?! “ Joey retorted.

“Wherever she is I hope she’s alright,” Yugi muttered, speaking to the spirit inside him rather than to his friends.

~*~

Staring at the ceiling, your trail of thought was jumbled into a heap of unanswered questions. How could it be that life took a swift and abrupt turn in the oddest of ways? How has destiny been changed simply in a matter of hours on that fated day? Two days ago, it started out merely as an ordinary school day where your primarily role was a student who lived a simple life without some pre-determined destiny. Destiny was something one created for one’s self along the path called life. We, as individuals, were all born painters with empty canvases, and those empty canvases that represented our lives were to be painted by our hands. After all, we were responsible for drawing our own paths; we were creating our own roads and making our own life choices as diverse individuals. That was what you thought and still believed regardless of what had transpired. However, you could not help but consider that perhaps there was a certain road that must be followed; certain boundaries had to be kept. We were only allowed to paint our life road as far as the canvas allowed us. There was always limitation to the amount of control one might have. Perhaps destiny keeps us within those boundaries as to keep us from being led astray.

“Had a good nap?” a voice asked almost in an amused manner while your thoughts clashed.

It was the spirit. That spirit who claimed to be an ancient manifestation of what you were in your past life. It was that very day you met this spirit that your simple life goal of being happy and living a simple hassle-free life was destroyed. Your liveliness and fundamental beliefs on life were all jumbled up when you were informed you had to serve some pharaoh. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? 

“You. I thought what happened a couple of days ago was just some ridiculous nightmare. Guess not,” you chuckled bitterly before voicing out.

The ancient spirit of (Your Name) decided to emerge out of the relic on your arm in an intangible form just like the time you first met her. Ever since that day, you have desperately tried removing the silver bangle on your arm in an attempt to halt these crazy hallucinations, but the bangle refused to slip off. It was as though some force interfered and prevented you from removing said relic. Or actually, maybe you had no real desire to be rid of it? For the longest time, that bangle had become a part of you. It was a family heirloom that you had, for as long as you could remember. That very artifact preserved a side of you that wanted to believe in the events that were to occur. It made you desire to believe in a universe outside of rationality and to believe that you had a duty that you had no knowledge about. 

The spirit’s translucent form hovered just a slight distance away from you as she eyed your empty expression. 

“Listen. Perhaps it’s best you forget this for a little while. In time you will understand, but it seems like your mind is in distraught,” she voiced out, sympathetic at your bewilderment. 

That was a first. Ever since the day you first met the spirit, she refused to stop speaking of all these crazy ancient fairytales and myths. Now, she was relieving you of it? For now at least, but for that, you were grateful just to acquire some peace and comfort away from this mess of fairytales.

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” you mumbled, “I feel like I’m going crazy. These hallucinations. You. Just everything. The human mind works in the strangest way.” 

“Denial is not the answer. Forget not that life goes on no matter how you try to escape your destiny,” she advised again.

You grunted before sitting up in your bed. It has been hours that you’ve been staring at the ceiling, contemplating the subject matter that caused you so much confusion. 

“I guess I agree with you a little. Moping on bed all day long probably isn’t the best way to spend life. I have school. It’s enough that I missed yesterday,” you knew exactly what she meant, but changed the context of this conversation. You refused to have any more discussions about destiny, for now at least.

“For now, I shall abide by your wishes of being left to create your own path, but when the time has come, I hope you will have come to understand the situation that we must face together,” she says with a small hopeful smile. 

A small laugh was emitted from your lips. “Alright, spirit. Here’s a deal. I am confident to say that this craziness isn’t going to stop me from living my life as I have before. But I shall humor you from time to time by listening to your tales and cooperating when you require. So, do we have a deal?”

The spirit looked at your outstretched hand and the small smile that graced your lips. Was this a look of acceptance or was it a look of tolerance that was displayed on the face of her modern counterpart? Regardless of what that look was, it was definitely a start. 

“Deal,” the ancient spirit agreed.

“Shoot! I’m so late! SPIRIT! Why the heck didn’t you tell me it was already friggin’ 11:30AM!” you yelled before jumping out of bed and running straight to the bathroom. 

A small smile graced the spirit’s lips. You reminded her so much of herself, yet you two were so different, disconnected only in the centuries you both were from. This reminded her of those times the priests would reprimand her for being late to training. And yet another memory has slipped into her mind, filling up the missing pieces of the puzzle. This was going to be interesting, living with a host such as the modern(Your Name). Maybe the two might get along after all.

~*~

The noisy chatter in the class was as typical as it could ever be. It was lunchtime after all. There was mindless chatter from most of the students present; there were some who played duel monsters while others just observed the game. But there sat one who quietly minded his own matters as he furiously typed away at his laptop.

Seto Kaiba. CEO of the most prestigious gaming corporation in the world. What more was needed to be said? It was a wonder that he even attended school, despite having to run his fancy billion-dollar company. 

_‘Why do I even bother showing up to class? I can’t work in this mind-numbing room filled with pointless chatter and small talk. Well, I guess school’s almost over anyways. I might as well get some work done here and finish off programing my new duel disk system before taking off,’ ._ Kaiba pondered to himself as his sapphire blue eyes scanned the chaotic classroom.

“And Yugi wins! Again!” Teá exclaimed.

“Hey, Yug! Tell me your secret! How is it that ya’ beat me every time?!” Joey cried out in frustration.

_‘Hmph. That whimpering fool. It’s no surprise considering he is just a second-rate duelist. He couldn’t duel even if it was to save what little pride he has left, if he even has any. I don’t know what’s more pathetic, his dueling style or that obnoxiously attitude of his. Oh, don’t forget his astounding stupidity as well.’_

Kaiba’s eyes then shifted to a character that avoided any contact with anyone at all. The individual’s white tresses covered his face as he silently watched a duel that commenced. It was none other than, Ryou Bakura. Well, that miserable countenance of his was not very typical. 

_‘Something’s off about him. If I remember correctly, he acted rather suspiciously yesterday when some girl didn’t show up to school. Huh, what do I care? This is a waste of time. Lunch has been over five minutes ago. I have more important things to do than to sit here doing absolutely nothing, and if that sorry excuse of a teacher doesn’t show up within the minute, I’m leaving this repulsive place.’_

Unfortunately for Kaiba, just as he considered leaving, the teacher leisurely strolled into class before putting down all his belongings on his desk.

_‘Well, just fucking perfect.’_

“Listen up class! I shall be assigning you to work in pairs today for your upcoming history project. Pay close attention as I will not be repeating these names again!” the teacher bellowed, gaining everyone’s attention.

_‘Again, just fucking perfect,’_ Kaiba thought in displeasure, glaring daggers at the instructor.

“Yugi Motou and Teá Gardner,” the teacher announced.

_‘Well, how convenient. At least Yugi’s off my back. Anyone but Yugi and his team of dweebs,’ Kaiba thought to himself in relief._

“Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor,” the teacher continued.

_‘Seems like luck is with me after all. Being stuck with either one of them would be tiresome, especially Wheeler.’_

“(Your Name) and Seto Kaiba.”

‘Huh, isn’t that the missing girl? So I’m expected to pick up her pieces and do her work while she slacks off. This is unacceptable. I will do this pointless project myself after I have finished working on that duel disk,’ Kaiba thought before he finally packed all his belongings and slamming his suitcase shut.

Soon after, Kaiba rose from his seat and proceeded towards the classroom door. The teacher eyed Kaiba as he made his way towards the front of the class.

“Is there something wrong, Kaiba?” the teacher questioned.

“This is a waste of time. She’s not even here. There’s no reason I should waste my time here. I will submit that assignment before the deadline via e-mail,” Kaiba grunted before throwing the teacher a dirty look.

Kaiba proceeded to open the door, but before he had a chance to do so, the door swung open. If he were any closer, it would have hit him in the face. To the person on the other side of the door, they were just lucky that that did not happen, as Kaiba was definitely not someone one should mess with.

~*~

“Shit! I’m so late for class! I bet lunch is almost over as well!” you yelled to yourself as you grabbed your school bag and keys before throwing your front door open and scramming out immediately.

It did not take you too long to arrive at your destination at the speed you ran. You arrived at school in your frenzied state in no time, and as soon as you arrived in front of your classroom, you forcefully threw the door open.

“I’m here! Sorry I’m late!”

All eyes were now on you but the ones that caught your attention were those blue irritated ones. You were soon brought face-to-face with icy blue eyes that glared daggers at you, sending chills down your spine. And no, not the good kind, whatever that meant. Those chills were the kind you would get when some tall intimidating person stared you down, which was also happening right now. 

“Uh… Sorry?” you chuckled nervously.

“Well, now she is, Mr. Kaiba. So I would appreciate if you two quietly return to your seats and spend classroom time to plan for the upcoming project,” the teacher suddenly said, as though he was talking to Kaiba about something prior to your barging in.

Confused about the situation, you just stared between the teacher and Kaiba. Kaiba’s glare never faltered as he redirected it to the teacher before striding back to his seat with a grace that was unique to Kaiba alone. If you thought about it, even when comparing Kaiba and the teacher, you would say Kaiba definitely had an air of charisma surrounding him that gave him that more respectable aura despite the power relations in the classroom. Then again, it seemed as though Kaiba could ruin any individual’s career as he pleased, making him the more dominant one in the social hierarchy. 

“Ahem.”

You were soon brought out of your stupor when you heard someone clear his throat. The teacher sensed the confusion that was clear in your eyes.

“Miss (Last Name), I'd appreciate it if you went back to your seat. I’ve assigned you to be paired up with Mr. Kaiba to work on the upcoming project. So, feel free to ask Kaiba to fill you in on the details,” the teacher informed before returning to the board.

You nodded before facing the class as you walked towards your seat. As you were inspecting your classmates, you caught a glimpse of the looks of relief that washed over Yugi, Teá, Tristan and Joey’s faces. Yugi lightly smiled at you and you returned the smile as you advanced forward, passing by his seat. However, you were soon approaching dangerous waters. From the corner of your eye, you also noticed Ryou Bakura, but shockingly, he looked just as pleased to see you. Shortly, your eyes met his eyes, but you averted your gaze immediately, ignoring the albino altogether. After what happened that night, you were afraid of who he really was. For all you knew, he could have killed you if he truly desired. Although you thought there was the possibility that he was not actually himself when that happened, as was explained by his psychopathic ‘counterpart’, you were going to keep a safe distance for the time being.

Unbeknownst to you, Ryou’s eyes saddened considerably due to the coldness you displayed, although he could not blame you, considering his yami could have badly hurt you. 

Instead of going to your seat, you brought your things over to Kaiba’s table, so that you both could begin brainstorming some ideas for the project. However, as you did so, you could not help but notice how coldly he stared at you. It was as though he hated everything around him and hated the fact that he was to be confined here, working on some project with someone like you. Unexpectedly, he was the first to speak and break the silence. between the both of you.

“Do you think it’s funny to be skipping school and putting others’ grades at stake? If you think you can slack off and I will pick up where you screw up, think again,” he said in a demeaning manner. 

“Pardon me?” you asked, blinking at his rudeness.

“Listen here. I will work with you on this project simply because I don’t want to stoop to your grade level and jeopardize my grades or reputation. But next time you decide to slack off, just drop out of this class. I will not be tolerant of any screw ups,” he sneered aloofly.

Who did this guy think he is? Some big shot?! Well, yes, he was a big shot, but that did not give him the right to condemn others and treat you like you were beneath him. 

“Excuse me, but that’s quite ironic for you to be saying, considering you’re always absent from class, Mr. I’m-So-Rich-And-Famous!” you retorted. 

Azure eyes glared intently at you, and in response, you rolled your eyes.

“What, cat got your tongue?” you spat. 

“I don’t have time to waste on someone with the likes of you,” he countered.

“Well, neither do I,” you responded.

“Well, the sooner we get started and stop this pointless bantering, the sooner we won’t have to deal with each other,” he snapped back as he took out his notes, flipping through the pages all in attempt to block you out. 

“Seto…” you heard a voice in your head whisper.

It was the spirit. Her mind seemed restless as she whispered his name again as though she was trying to remember something that was once lost in the depths of time. 

‘Hey, spirit. Are you ok?’ you asked quietly, communicating with her through your mind.

‘I’m sorry. He just looks so much like him. I think it is him…’ the spirit mumbled, but then disappeared in your cognizance. Perhaps she needed some time to herself and you ultimately decided to discuss it later because clearly you were not off in your own world. At least, the jerk in front of you would not let you have the time of day if he caught you daydreaming. 

“So, are you going to stare off in space all day?”

Sighing, you decided to ignore the sarcastic rude arrogant rich CEO in front of you before you flipped through the pages of your textbook. 

‘Hmm, Ancient Egypt… Interesting. Maybe we have found our topic. Of course, that’s only if the almighty Seto Kaiba approves of this topic, ‘ you wondered in your mind before mindlessly reading the text.

~*~

~~~ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And that was it. So, this was more of a Kaiba-centric chapter since I did no mentioning of him in the earlier chapters, save his sexy ancient Egyptian past self heheh ^_^ So I will be going more in depth about the past relationships that the ancient (Your Name) held with the pharaoh, Akefia and Priest Seto. I’ve been trying to keep those undercover, just so that my readers will sympathize with her feelings and confusion, but all will be revealed gradually. The first quarter of this chapter was talking about the abstract realities and insecurities that the ancient (Your Name) and modern (Your Name) face and how those ideologies collide. I definitely hope to improve and make some tweaks to this chapter though, and if I ever find the time, I will! Well, hope you guys enjoy this chapter and feedback is appreciated!


	7. Connection to the Dragon Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here is a chapter with more dialogue and less puzzling abstract paragraphs describing the psychological confusion of (Your Name). Do keep in mind that I am trying to create that effect, so don’t worry if you did not understand some of the previous chapters, especially the first part of Chapter 6. It was intended to be like that :) You are supposed to be confused after all! I do usually add some explanations in my author’s notes just to give you a heads up. So look for those if you’re curious ☺ Anyways, I have included a few lame-ass jokes in here because who doesn’t like lame-ass jokes and I wanted to add some lighter moments since the previous chapters were filled with lots of heavy stuff! Enjoy!

“Well, I guess this is it.”

It was there you stood, eying the magnificent structure that stood tall before you. It was constructed with outrageous amounts of glass, which brimmed in the setting sun. The sky was coloured a deep red and orange, which only served to act as dramatic backdrop for the sight in front of you. The crystalized skyscraper glistened like a gigantic polished diamond in the center of Domino City, symbolizing the home of the wealthiest corporation the city had to offer. This was Kaiba Corp in all its pride. Funny. It quite reminded you of the person who owned this building, not that you knew much about him, but let’s go off a list of his most notable traits you had gathered from your encounter with him. Tall. Arrogant. Conceited. Egotistical. Pompous. Rude. Cold. Inconsiderate. Stupid. Well, not exactly stupid, but stupid in the sense he was just plain… RUDE! Yes, his rudeness must be emphasized and truth be told, even mentioning it twice did no justice to his true impudence. Perhaps if he tried to refrain from being the biggest ass in the world, maybe you would rethink your evaluation of him.  

While you were in class with him, he refused to discuss the project simply because he had ‘better things to do’ on that fancy laptop of his, and at the off-chance he actually did listen to your ideas, he would state that your ideas were ludicrous, underdeveloped and needed to dig further into the intellectual aspects of the topic. That jerk with his big words and complicated plans! How was one supposed to do that when there was no topic chosen to begin with? Just thinking about what happened in class a few hours ago made you vexed as you recalled your conversation with the mean egotistical self-adoring CEO jerk. 

~*~  
_  
After spending half an hour deciding on a topic, you’ve decided to bring it up to Kaiba as he made no move to talk about the project. You were assuming that he left the topic choosing up to you. Either that or he could simply care less about the project at all. Hopefully, it was the former. It was a pairs project after all as much as you disliked being paired up with a certain snappy blue-eyed someone.  Well, you had to make it work somehow. Maybe all it took was for you to make the first move and take the initiative._

_“So, I was thinking… what do you think about Ancient Egypt?” you chirped._

_You awaited a response, only to be met with silence. There was no answer. Looking up from your textbook, you eyed Kaiba, wondering why he did not respond to your suggestion. As you observed his features, you noticed his eyes were focused on his laptop as he was disregarding your existence entirely._

_He just ignored you._

_Or maybe he just did not hear you?_

_“Erm, hello Kaiba. I was just—“_

_“I heard you. It would not kill you to further elaborate on what you mean by that and also have a solid plan before you start spewing underdeveloped suggestions,“ he said, his eyes never leaving his laptop, “I do not have time for things like that. So, find a suitable topic while having a plan that will follow suit.”_

_“I was just suggesting a topic,” you said, staring at him, astounded at his abrasiveness. You knew he was somewhat of a jerk thanks to his reputation, but this was too much._

_“What’s a topic without a plan? You sat down for thirty minutes staring off into your books and all you’ve come up with is ‘Ancient Egypt?” he criticized, “If you were working for me, you’d be the kind I’d fire in an instant.”_

_Well, that was harsh. For crying out loud, this was a freaking high school project. You understood that Kaiba might be high on the intellect, considering he was running his own fancy billion dollar company, but this?! What did Kaiba think this was? The both of you were in school, not some meeting for a business proposition. To hell with his complicated procedures! It was about time he stopped expecting so much._

_“Well Kaiba, we are working on this together. I need you to tell me what you think about this topic before we can move on with the planning. I was thinking we should decide on something first, so that we would be on the same page,” you said, trying to keep your cool as you reasoned with him._

_Kaiba looked at you as though you were just astoundingly stupid. Did he not make it clear? If one wanted to collaborate with him, one needed to be prepared with an idea that had a plan to boot. To Kaiba, it was the same in business, school or daily life.  Who would ever be interested in investing in an idea with no substantial plan to back the formation of that idea? Not him. It was a simple notion. If one were smart, one would go by that conception. Well, if there was no plan, he definitely was not buying your idea at all._

_“I refuse to engage in pointless chatter. Until you’ve come up with something more specific, you’re on your own. I have better things to do,” he said frankly as he packed his belongings into his briefcase before slamming it shut._

_“Hey what are you doing? There’s still 30 minutes of class left! ”_

_“Be at Kaiba Corp, 5:30 sharp, and you’d better have something worth discussing about. If not, don’t bother coming by,” he said before standing and leaving towards the classroom door._

_That arrogant asshole-ish vibe that radiated off him was unparalleled even to the authoritative teacher that stood in front of the class. The teacher decided against stopping Kaiba and you were left sitting in your seat with half an hour to think of an idea that would suit his royal majesty’s liking._

~*~

After thinking about that brief flashback, you found yourself sighing in annoyance as you watched the busy human traffic coming in and out the building.  Having no idea on where you were to wait for Kaiba, you sighed again as you contemplated on whether you should enter the building or not. Even if you did choose to enter, you doubted that security would allow you in, let alone meet him. A sigh soon escaped your lips as you ultimately decided to wait outside.

“How are we supposed to work on our project with all these suits running around? This must be Kaiba’s idea of a joke. This is barely a place to be working on a school project,” you mumbled subconsciously as you stared at the doors of Kaiba Corp in hopes of catching a glimpse of the brunette man soon.

It was not long before you were soon brought out of your stupor when you heard someone calling out to you.

“Hey, (Your Name)! Still waitin’ on that Kaiba, huh?” you heard someone say in a familiar strong Brooklyn accent.

That accent was unmistakable. Turning to your side, you noticed a certain friendly blonde with his group of friends approaching you. 

“Poor (Your Name).  Kaiba isn’t someone I’d want to work with either,” Tristan mentioned teasingly.

“Geez thanks,” you muttered before asking, “what are you all doing here anyways?”

“Nothing much. Just passing through and heading back to my place. By the way, we were worried that you never showed up to class yesterday,” Yugi responded before voicing his concerns.

“Oh that!” you exclaimed nervously, “I just caught a small cold! Nothing major,” you lied with a big false grin on your face, dismissing his concern. What could you tell them after all? That you met your ancient alter ego that claimed you were some ancient Pharaoh’s key to saving mankind and that you also met a maniacal Bakura who could have captured your soul with the huge piece of jewelry he wore around his neck. Maybe if it were more believable, it would be worth sharing.  

Everyone else seemed to have bought that lie, but unbeknownst to you, not everyone did. Yugi definitely did not seem to completely believe your simplistic answer, but he decided against questioning it for now.

“Well, we are glad that you are alright! You should come over to Yugi’s with us more often,” Teá offered in part of Yugi and the gang. 

Just as you were about to reply, you finally noticed a looming figure approaching from behind the glass doors. You observed as a familiar blue-eyed individual stepped out just in time as the double doors open to reveal his looming form. The gang, however, seemed unaware of this. Joey immediately added on to Teá’s suggestion when you emitted no response.

“You should, (Your Name)! Then, I could show some of my awesome dueling strategies to a you, since you are a beginner and all! But I guess for now, we know you have to spend hours working with that dragon man! Hah get it?! Like dragon lady, but dragon man instead?! And Kaiba likes dragons too. Man, I’m good!” Joey exclaimed proudly with a cheeky grin on his face, unaware of the presence that stood behind him.

Speak of the devil.

“I told you to drop by, but I don’t remember inviting the geek squad and their puppy dog here. Someone needs to call the pound before this fleabag causes a nuisance.”

Everyone turned around to face the owner of that voice. It was none other than Seto Kaiba, but anyone could have known that from hearing the condescending nature of his voice.

“Hey, you wanna fight, rich boy?!” Joey yelled out.

Ignoring Joey’s angry calls, Kaiba walked past Joey before averting his gaze to you. 

“Hello, Kaiba. So, you finally decided to personally come get me?” you said mildly annoyed. 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he said as he looked at you with eyes that said that he would have left without you if you were not here on time. Without wasting any time, Kaiba walked past you without a word and advanced towards the black vehicle that awaited him.

Momentarily forgetting about the group beside you, you yelled out at Kaiba.

“Hey, where are you going?!” you yelled out, not moving an inch, confused at where he was going.

“Are you just going to stand there? Get in the limo before I decide to leave without you.”

Guess the both of you were not working in his office after all. 

Your eyes darted towards the group that stood beside you. You noticed that Yugi’s countenance was no longer the innocent one; rather he became ‘serious Yugi’ again. This merely further reminded you of the events that happened a couple days ago and the questions you had circulating your brain; but that must be put on hold. You broke your gaze away from the magenta-eyed duelist before looking at the group as a whole.

“I’m sorry. I have to go before a certain someone decides to leave me. I’ll see you all soon. Bye,” you bid with a small smile.

You sprinted towards the limo and entered after Kaiba. Upon entering the limo and fastening your seatbelts, you were soon brought into an uncomfortable silence. By then, Kaiba had pulled out his trusty laptop and had given his full attention to the screen in front of him. You thought about breaking the silence and maybe talk about some ideas, but perhaps this would not be the best time to discuss the project.

“Well, are you going to talk about what you’ve come up with or are you just going to sit there?”

Well, guess it is time then. So much for showing some consideration to that busy jerk. 

“As I said earlier, I propose Ancient Egypt...” you said before pausing to look at his expression.

He raised an eyebrow at your suggestion, but said nothing as if it was a cue for you to elaborate on your suggestion.

“We could put a PowerPoint presentation together and have different subtopics in each slide. I was thinking we could do an intro to the geographical structure of ancient Egypt, and then, move on to discuss the life of a typical Egyptian while also touching on the lives of the Pharaoh and his court officials. And towards the end, I’d like to have a special slide discussing ancient Egyptian relics and the topic of life after death.”

Silence soon followed as you finished stating your suggestion. This was not surprising, considering Seto Kaiba was not a man of many words. But when he did speak, it was usually retorts and criticism of a condescending nature. Hell, even his silence was condescending!

“That’s ridiculous.“

You rolled your eyes. Enough was enough. You had wrecked your brain, thinking of a plan all on your own while he did who knows what! Fully understanding that he had his own business to run, you also thought that he should be carrying his own weight on this project! A few suggestions from him would not hurt and you were more than happy to welcome suggestions that would contribute to the project, not hard empty criticism on your efforts.

“And what’s so ridiculous about that? I don’t see you contributing,” you said, finally losing your courteous tone.

“Life after death? How old are you? Five? Those are just fairytales. Focus on facts.”

“Well, the ancient Egyptians believed in life after death,” you retorted, refusing to drop the topic.

“They were ancient people for a reason.”

“And what are you trying to imply?” you questioned, unbelieving of his pompous attitude.

“You do realize they believed in legendary myths and fairy tales with no real evidence. If you would only focus on the rational aspects like their prominence in trade and business– “

“Shut up, non-believer!” you said melodramatically in a half attempt to crack a joke while ultimately trying to shut him up. Yes, the non-believer portion was pretty redundant besides creating some drama and jest, but your methods should not be questions. After all, it was pretty effective when the person you were up against was an ostentatious individual who would not shut up when he was trying to get his point through. Well, seemed like that mini outburst did manage to shut him up; maybe now he would allow you to speak. 

Actually, big mistake. Seto Kaiba was not one for jokes. Take that down as a mental reminder next time.

Kaiba’s glare never once wavered and if his eyes could burn holes into your own, consider yours barbequed, very well-done. Further emphasizing the intimidating air, he paused for a moment almost as though it was in effect to intimidate you.

“Do not interrupt me when I’m talking.” Despite his monotonous voice, you heard the threatening nature of his command seeping through with every word he said. 

“It was just a joke, Kaiba,” you stated simply with both hands up in defense, but decided to get down to business and change the subject as that glare he gave you was quite menacing, “But in all seriousness, hear me out. I do strongly believe that adding the mythology and folktale aspect to the project would be something important and interesting to add. Facts are all arguments that already have scholarly evidence supporting them. Where’s the excitement in learning what we already know? You said we have to dig deeper. Well, this is it. We are digging beyond facts and exploring what scholars themselves are exploring in the field of history,” you convinced. 

Again, there was silence. You stared at Kaiba and he stared back, his hard gaze never wavering for even a second. But you knew that this time, he was actually considering what you said. 

‘I don’t have time for this and I certainly don’t have time for this fool,’ the blue-eyed businessman though before deciding that he was better off allowing a small concession to the rambling imbecile in front of him.

“Hmph. Do what you want. But that information must be in a single slide, not more. By the chance that the slide is filled with utter nonsense, I will have it removed completely with no opposition whatsoever.”

It sounded very much like a negotiation, despite not being able to lay your own conditions; but that was as good a deal you could hope to get from Kaiba. You really did want to include that information in your project, mainly because this was the perfect opportunity for you to research the origins of your ancient spirit and get some leads about the crazy occurrences that had been transpiring for the past couple of days.  Maybe then you could decide for yourself whether such ‘fairytales’ were real. However, Kaiba did not need to know all that. 

“Fine. I accept, Kaiba,” you replied.

“Good. You’re catching on. Guess you’re not as stupid as I thought,” he replied, pleased that there was no opposition to his conditions.

“Watch it, Kaiba!” you yelled, tired of his insults only to have him ignore you again.

Typical. Well, if you were to work with him, you might as well start getting used to it. 

~*~

Silence soon dawned upon the two of you after that conversation ended. The only thing that could be heard was the soft dull hum of limo’s engines and the smooth sounds of wheels turning.  Buildings passed by as you watched through the dark tinted windows. Soon, the limo stopped outside a middle school around that area. 

That’s right. Where was Kaiba taking you anyway? That was when you decided to ask.

“Hey Kaiba, where are we even going anyways?”

As soon as you asked your question, the doors on your side of the limo flung open and that was when you were met with metallic grey eyes.  It was a young boy with messy dark tresses flowing down his shoulders.  

“Hi, big brother!” he yelled out as he had a huge smile plastered on his face, but his expression soon changed to confusion when his eyes met yours.

“Wait, who are you?” the young boy in his early teens asked.

“Um, hello, I’m (Your Name). I’m Kaiba’s classmate,” you mentioned almost uncertainly, pointing to Kaiba when you mentioned being his classmate.

“Mokuba, get in,” his older brother commanded in an impatient tone.

After hearing his big brother’s voice, he was reassured that you were not a random stranger and hopped onto the seat beside you before turning to you with a big grin.

“Oh hi! The name’s Mokuba! That’s odd! Seto never really invites friends over,” Mokuba states, eying you and his brother inquisitively.

“She’s not a friend,” Kaiba reassured fimly.

“Ouch,” you muttered softly in sarcasm.

Mokuba chuckled at your exchange with Kaiba before he moved on to a different topic to talk about.

In time, you and Mokuba were talking ceaselessly about whatever topic he brought up. This kid proved to be extremely easy to talk to and you really did appreciate that, considering his brother was a total anti-social uptight jerk.  Speaking of the devil, you noticed the deepening frown that formed on his lips.

“So Mokuba… Not to be rude, but is your brother always such a…. you know…. an ass?” you asked, unsure if it was perhaps too rude but who cares? Kaiba was rude to you every single time he decided to say something.

Kaiba just glared at you. “Language, you dimwit.”

Rolling your eyes, you muttered: “Mind my language. I just couldn't find any other words to describe you.” 

Despite that, Mokuba disregarded Seto’s warning and responded, “Yeah, I guess he can be an ass to some people! But he’s been kind to me.”

“Mokuba.”

“Oops, sorry, Seto! ” Mokuba laughed sheepishly before adding, “But no, I don’t appreciate you calling him that. My big brother is just not someone to be messed with, so I guess people find him intimidating or the three letter A-word.”

Spoken like a true Kaiba. Man, must Kaiba be proud at how his brother looked up to him.

“Alright, I guess I could take that for an answer,” you replied, deciding against bashing Kaiba any further. For now. 

~*~

It was not long before the three of you arrived Kaiba manor. Looking out the limo’s window, you stared in awe as the automatic gates opened upon the limo’s arrival. The gardens were beautifully constructed with neatly trimmed bonsai trees and the variety of flowers, bushes and landscaping amazed you. The Kaiba mansion itself stood lavishly constructed with intricate details embedded in the building, and it made the overall construction of the place quite marvelous.  As you spent your time awe-struck at gazing at the many riches the Kaiba brothers possessed, the limo has halted to a stop and the boy beside you threw the door open before bouncing of his seat.

“We’re here, (Your Name)! Come on out!” Mokuba called out, beckoning you out of the limo. 

Kaiba had long exited from the other side of the limo when his chauffeur opened his door. You stepped out the limo before timidly walking over as you stared at he magnificent entrance before you. It was then a wave of nostalgia hit you.

 _”Why does this seem so familiar?”_ you asked yourself in your head.

It was definitely the first time that you ever been here. You had never once set foot near this part of town anyways, so why was it that something about this seemed so familiar? Was it the huge double doors that stood tall? Or was it the magnificent pillars that framed the door on each side? No, you had never seen this building before; that much was for sure. Maybe it was not the place that you were familiar with, but the atmosphere. But still, it did not make any sense. No matter how much you tried to recall a memory that you might have had associated to this place, you found none. Finally, you shrugged it off, walking through the double doors as you ignored that nagging familiarity you had with your current situation.

~*~

Surprisingly, working with Kaiba seemed to be going well enough. The work had been evenly split between you and Kaiba, and the both of you were now in his study, separately working on your respective roles. You two were stationed far apart from each other, but you doubted that there was a need to sit close anyways, considering both your parts were set in a way that barely needed to be any teamwork at all.  Even if that was not the case, Kaiba did not seem like the type who would appreciate any teamwork effort. 

Initially, Kaiba was rather domineering in terms of the organization of the entire project and who was to do what, but when you were left to do your own task, he mostly left you alone do handle your part, and for that, you were grateful. You thanked the higher heavens for that. In all honesty, you though it was going to be much more difficult working with him, but so far so good. 

“How much do you have left?” he suddenly voiced abruptly.

“Sorry, what was that?” you asked, looking up from your own laptop screen.

“My part is complete. You should be finished yours right around now.” 

Your jaw dropped while your eyes widened upon hearing what he just said.

“Already?!” you exclaimed in surprise. 

It has been just two hours since you had started working on it and Kaiba had managed to complete his part in a couple of measly hours?! Unbelievable. At your exclamation, Kaiba looked toward you for an answer, but there was no need for a verbal answer. Your expression clearly gave away that you were not close to being done. Kaiba’s scrutinizing eyes glared at you before he sighed and rubbed his temples in annoyance, a gesture that certainly did not go unnoticed by you.

“Have that done right away. You are not leaving until you have it all done.”

With that, he rose from his seat, leaving you alone in his study.

For a moment, you thought that Kaiba looked extremely tired. Call yourself crazy, but for some reason you felt no resentment towards him despite his final command. If anything, he had been a little bit more civil to you than he had been in school, although you would hardly call forcing someone to work with no break civil at all. Actually, screw that thought! Who did he think he is?! He could not just confine you here and expect you finish a project that was to be due in a month from now? He was definitely a slave driver; there was no questioning that. He could slave drive himself al he wanted, but what about you? You could not match up to his speed! Maybe you should leave, although leaving this mansion might prove a daunting task since you had no idea how to navigate around Kaiba mansion. Not to mention, he left you here alone.

You were alone.

Your thoughts drifted again. Lately, that was what usually happened. Your thoughts drifted as random nostalgia and feelings seem to immerge out of nowhere, effectively altering your mood. 

Now this loneliness was bothering you. You did not like this feeling. What was this? This lonely feeling. It seemed all too familiar that it just did not make any sense at all.

“I want Seto here,” you heard those very words leave your lips.

“What the hell did I just say?” you voiced aloud, slapping a hand over you head before shaking your head to get that stupid thought out of your head.

Those words just came out, but in all honesty, you could not have meant that. Your brain was simply not in sync with your speech.

Ok. You were officially insane. AWOL. Crazy in the head. You barely knew the guy. In fact, you knew nothing about him. Today was the first time you actually talked to him or interacted with him in any way. Although it was true that he was attractive – there was no denying that – his personality traits were definitely not impressive at all. You would have a better chance having a crush on Ryou Bakura, before he went psychotic of course. 

But then, it hit you.  Your mind drifted to think about the spiritual entity that hid inside your being, or rather that bangle on your arm.

Maybe it was the spirit who was responsible for these weird nostalgias. The spirit did mention something about Kaiba. Could she have been familiar with Kaiba or someone like Kaiba in the past? There might have been some connection between this weird nostalgic feeling and your ancient spirit. She had been MIA ever since you saw Kaiba in class, as you could not feel her presence within you since earlier this afternoon. It was almost as though she was blocking herself in solitude, but that did not stop you from feeling what she was experiencing, for the two of you shared the same mind and body.

“Spirit?” you called out in your head, deciding to try anyways.

There was no reply. 

Huh, guess it cannot be helped. 

Staring at your screen, you decide to get back to work. If you could not find answers from her, perhaps some research online would be useful toward finishing the projects and the unraveling of this mysterious past your ancient alter ego seemed to have forgotten. With this newfound determination, you browsed a few scholarly websites that coud potentially aid you in finding the information you needed.

“Tomb of an ancient Pharaoh found with various stone tablets discovered,” you read aloud as your eyes scanned over the online news article that you had found.

“Reports suggest that the findings of the excavation had been kept top secret and shall be making their first appearance in Domino Museum. However, it has been leaked from an unknown source that there is speculation that the tablet depicts a young nameless Pharaoh who was once a powerful king who sealed away powerful beings for good all in order to save mankind.”

You snorted at what you read. Seal powerful beings to save mankind? Kaiba definitely would object to this little detail being added into the project. To be truthful, this information also seemed ludicrous to you. You would think that it would seem crazy to any sane person. You definitely did have your fair share of odd occurrences happening, but until you see these ‘beings’ with your own eyes, you refused to believe it. Holding that thought, you scrolled down further, scanning the document further in hopes of finding something somewhat useful and slightly less nonsensical. 

“Not much have been found regarding the details of the life the Pharaoh lived as many of the older hieroglyphics embedded on the walls of the Pharaoh’s tomb were destroyed and illegible. Here is a link to a full interview with, Ishizu Ishtar, an Egyptologist who has much expertise in this section of Egyptian history. 

Perhaps she held the answers. 

Without a second thought, you clicked the link as it brought you to a video. As the video was buffering, you heard a shuffling noise entering the study area and noticed the younger Kaiba.

“Oh hello Mokuba,” you greeted with a small tired smile.

“Hey, (Your Name). Seto told me to tell you that he will be leaving to go to Kaiba Corp to finish some work left at the company and I’m going with him too. I did ask him if you could tag along but he said no. He did say that you could go home now as long as you come back to Kaiba Corp tomorrow evening to finish the project,” Mokuba informed.

Closing your laptop, you smiled gratefully, “Thanks, Mokuba. I think I just need a break. “

“You look tired, (Your Name). You should go home. I’ll get a limo around for you!” he said and before you could stop him, he picked up his cell and called for a limo to be ready in five minutes at the front porch. 

“It will be here in five minutes. Let me bring you to the front porch. This place is easy to get lost in,” he mentioned before chuckling, and you warmly smiled at him and thanked him once again. 

For now, some rest might do good. Tomorrow would be when you seek answers, you reassured yourself.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 2: Hope you all enjoyed this and I would love feedback. I am quite demotivated recently due to tedious amounts of work, and as a result, this chapter was really rushed, as you might be able to tell, but please bear with me. I will allocate more time to writing once my final exams are done in 2 weeks. It would also really help if I get constant feedback. I don’t want to force my readers to do this and it is not compulsory, but it would be nice and I would appreciate it ☺ It really encourages me to keep writing and trust me, it is an effective kick to my ass to get on it :P Feel free to kick my ass if I take more than a month from now to update! Hah, I’m funny! I hope I haven’t scared you all away with my odd sense of humour :P Do await the upcoming chapters!


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